The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

[Kiki]

Pretty much. Have you been tracing the air cells when you candled during incubation?
I do it on day 7-10-14-18. Sometimes adjusting humidity based on cell size.
I leave them alone after day 18.

Yah every hour on the hour, right?

If you are sitting there stressing, staring, wondering what's going on just get it over with and look real quick.
I find that it feels better to know.
I hate the guessing game.

 

[HookLineSilkie]

This is correct but this is for the entire incubation time.
Come lockdown time you want those air cells getting bigger by the day.

Maybe, just maybe, the guy or gal that drew up that egg diagram with the air cell reference points accounted for the higher humidity shrinking the air cells down a tad during lockdown. I’m hoping so cause I’m all in right now and I’m not messing with it!

 

[HookLineSilkie]

Pretty much. Have you been tracing the air cells when you candled during incubation?
I do it on day 7-10-14-18. Sometimes adjusting humidity based on cell size.
I leave them alone after day 18.

Yah every hour on the hour, right?

I’ve been tracing... I pretty much candled every night and traced out the growing air cells with different color pencils. Do you increase humidity as you lockdown or do you wait for first external pip? I get nervous about the whole shrink wrapping scenario that I read happens if you open lid during first pip. Scared...

 

[HookLineSilkie]

If you are sitting there stressing, staring, wondering what's going on just get it over with and look real quick.
I find that it feels better to know.
I hate the guessing game.

But then if something goes wrong I’ll think I messed it up when I opened during lockdown. If I do it now, I’m going to keep doing it! I have to trust the process... but it’s killing me!!!

 

[aart]

I’ve been tracing... I pretty much candled every night and traced out the growing air cells with different color pencils.

Overkill, IMO.

Do you increase humidity as you lockdown or do you wait for first external pip?

Depends on how the cells look at lock down...if they look a bit small I'll wait until first pip.

 

[HookLineSilkie]

Overkill, IMO.

I’m sure when the excitement fades slightly over time, I’ll candle less but it’s too much fun right now!

Depends on how the cells look at lock down...if they look a bit small I'll wait until first pip.

 

[aart]

I’m sure when the excitement fades slightly over time, I’ll candle less but it’s too much fun right now!

Even my first hatch I only went 7-10-14-18. Now I may only do 7 & 18.

 

[HookLineSilkie]

So, in my other incubator which is a styrofoam Little Giant, I have some stored eggs that were put in same time a few days ago and three more eggs that are staggered from day 7 to day 14. I didn’t realize how complicated it gets with doing it this way so won’t be doing too much staggering in near future. Maybe like small batches every week.... but I haven’t candled the new ones yet and won’t until day 7. See, I’m showing some restraint!

 

[aart]

Maybe like small batches every week.... but I haven’t candled the new ones yet and won’t until day 7. See, I’m showing some restraint!

These two things don't really go together!!

 

[HookLineSilkie]

These two things don't really go together!!

Hey, I didn’t say I was sane! Funny thing is my one and only hen went broody for the first time today so I guess she’s taking over for a while...