Tilted air sacks on day 25...which way to set for lockdown?

[abbydj]

Hi all,

I'm a rookie on this forum and I'm also fresh to pea hatching! I've been reading and learning a lot from all of you. Thank you! I haven't had to start a thread as all of my question have been answered by previous posts.

Today is day 25 and 3 of 5 peafowl eggs are showing promising signs of development. I know it's a steep learning curve, but I'm trying to hatch them in a still air with a circulating fan installed.

My question is, I candled today (day 25) and my air sacks look very titled; two of the eggs are often caught rolling to another position after being turned. I'm wondering if there's a preferred way to set them in for lockdown? With their air sacks titled / or \ ...I hope that makes sense...

Also, I've found conflicting responses on "lockdown" am I suppose to put them on lockdown tonight? I have BS, Pied, and Spaulding in the bator. I've heard some weight there's, but I haven't been doing that. Is there anything else I should know about lockdown or hatching?

Thanks for any insight...I know it's late notice!

 

[DylansMom]

Hi there, tilted air cells on day 25 are a good sign. This always happens before hatching, if the are not tilted I get worried. I Like to keep mine with that air cell toward the top, and I personally do not do a lock down, but I do try to get my humidity as high as I can for the last 3 days. Ill use moistened paper towels to raise it and I am not afraid to assist them with hatching if they get stalled out.

 

[abbydj]

Thanks Dylansmom!

Phew, that makes me hopeful!

If you don't do a lockdown, do you just keep turning until they hatch or until the first membrane pips? I don't have an automatic tuner...would you suggest that I keep hand turning the eggs and start to maintain a high humidity? I am able to sustain at least 75% humidity with a wet wash cloth...I'll start that tonight.

I also assist if needed. I have had a lot of success zipping and assisting chicks, but after reading so many threads on here, peafowl hatching seems different...like the inner membrane pip is more like a separate stage. Hopefully, if the time comes, I'll know what to do!

Thanks again for your help!

 

[KsKingBee]

During the 'lockdown' stage you do not turn the eggs anymore. When I move mine to the hatcher I set them on a hard flat surface just long enough for them to settle with the heavy side down and place them in the hatcher in that position.

 

[DylansMom]

No turning during those last 3 days. And it does seem like the inner pip is its own stage, usually if I talk to them they will chirp back at me and that is how I know they have pipped the inner membrane, then I expect to wait 24 hours or so before they Crack the shell. If they have not put a Crack in the shell after 24 hrs. I will put in an air hole.

 

[abbydj]

Thanks Dylansmom and KingBee! I followed both of your advice. So far, one of the three has pipped through the outer shell! I wish I could hear the other eggs to see if I should make an air hole in the other two, but I can't tell who I am hearing and I don't think I should open the bator. Plus, my newly hatched silkies and ducks are in the room too...so I really can't be sure if it's the peachicks I am hearing anyways. I noticed the external pip an hour ago...should I wait 12 hours to see what happens and then intervene with the pipped egg if necessary AND poke holes in the other two eggs if I hear them or not...or should I just chill out and wait?

Thanks again! Of course this hatch is taking place in the middle of the night

 

[DylansMom]

Of course it is the middle of the night, that's how it usually works out. I mentioned that I do not do a lockdown, so I am able to remove each egg and hold it close to my ear, while talking to it and tapping a little with a fingernail. This is how I can tell if they have pipped internally. Once they have made the external pip in the shell, they can breathe so no need to rush, they usually unzip in about 12 hrs, but it can take 24, so I usually give them that long before I intervene.

 

[abbydj]

Thank you Dylansmom! Yep, and I followed what you did. Early this morning, I saw that no progress was made on the pipped egg. I opened the bator and pealed the outer shell a little to find that he was being sucked in by his inner membrane I pealed away until it began to bleed only slightly and then wrapped it back up and put it in the bator. Then, I made an external hole in the other two...I'm glad I had your advice because the other two were shrinking inside as well and their beaks never would have reach the outer layer. Ah, thank you! Now, the first pip is completely out and I helped the other two by pealing a tiny bit of the other two layer. The lil' pea that's out is very chatty! Since the bator isn't very tall, do you think I should take it out and put it into the brooder...I'm afraid if it stands too much it'll burn it's head? I'm surprised to see that it is standing and quite perky. What do you think?

 

[DylansMom]

Thank you Dylansmom! Yep, and I followed what you did. Early this morning, I saw that no progress was made on the pipped egg. I opened the bator and pealed the outer shell a little to find that he was being sucked in by his inner membrane I pealed away until it began to bleed only slightly and then wrapped it back up and put it in the bator. Then, I made an external hole in the other two...I'm glad I had your advice because the other two were shrinking inside as well and their beaks never would have reach the outer layer. Ah, thank you! Now, the first pip is completely out and I helped the other two by pealing a tiny bit of the other two layer. The lil' pea that's out is very chatty! Since the bator isn't very tall, do you think I should take it out and put it into the brooder...I'm afraid if it stands too much it'll burn it's head? I'm surprised to see that it is standing and quite perky. What do you think?

I used to use a little bator to hatch in and I had the same fear, so I would remove the chicks as soon as they started to stand and walk around. They would go right in a brooder with a heat lamp, that I had already made sure was positioned correctly to keep the bottom of the brooder tub at 95 degrees and no drafts, they did fine. I don't use that bator for hatching anymore, it had an exposed fan blade and heating element and it was such a source of stress during hatch time that I grew to hate it!
I am glad to hear they are doing well. What was your humidity running at, I try to get mine as high as possible during hatch, 80%-90% makes me happy.

 

[abbydj]

Update: the first peafowl to hatch is doing really well. The second peafowl came out if their shell and was rolling around in the incubator...it looks like it has a swollen stomach or the yolk didn't get sucked into it's stomach...is that a mushy peachick? It does seems to leak out a small amount of yolk. Is there a way to help this?