Feeling really hopeful! Have seen six eggs rocking now... and we have a pip! One of the black copper marans and we can see it moving! Two of the Ameraucana and three of the Easter eggers are the other movers.
How are they doing now? Wow, you're gonna be collecting some very pretty eggs next spring!!!!
How did you add the humidity since they are locked down? I was thinking of just dribbling water on the paper towels...?
I would fill all three water trays and if that wasn't enough I'd put the red plugs in. I'm not going to say that that is the right thing to do (there's a train of thought that says to remove the red plugs during lockdown for the extra oxygen), that's just what I did.
FYI, the time between the first pip and the first half dozen or so hatching it is key to keep the humidity up. After several hatch their wet bodies and egg shells will keep the humidity up.
It is really important to keep the incubator closed as much as possible. I got quite good at cracking one side open, snatching the chick or doing whatever, and closing it back up very quickly. If I had to do something in the center, I'd pop up one of the windows, and then slide it up or down depending on where I'm trying to go (but be careful of the heating element, if you touch it you'll instantly be wide awake anytime of the day or night, LOL).
You've probably already read this, but don't be in too much of a hurry to remove the chicks. Remember that they'll be fine for up to 72 hours without food or water. Me, I'd grab all the dry chicks 24 hours after the first hatched, and then again in another 24 hours, and again in another 24 hours for the long drawn out hatches.
