Today is day 18 Help I need to know if I have to pull the vent plugs

[horsejody]

The instructions on mine said to remove the plugs to increase the oxygen in the bator. If you need more humidity, add sponges.

 

[freshegg]

Mine said that too but bycers said that they had better hatches when they didnt til they hatch but only 1 out of 9 is hatched and I didnt get a hydrometer. Im definately getting one for my next hatch that Im starting thursday or friday next week.

 

[Akane]

Lacking a hygrometer go by how much water is fogging up the viewing area. It should just be a light misting on the edges. If it starts to cover the viewing area or make large drops pull a vent plug. If there's no moisture I'd leave the plugs in or only open one part way (turn it over and cover half the hole) unless you start getting sticky chicks hatching. Too high of humidity will result in gooey chicks with bits of the inside of the egg still attached when they hatch. If you haven't seen it though it's hard to tell a sticky chick from a normal wet chick after it hatches.

I've seen no correlation between hatch rates and vent plugs being in or out during hatching. I've only had better or worse hatches based on the humidity level. Some of my worst hatches were when I had to remove the vent plugs and didn't keep the humidity down. I've had 2 great hatches with the vent plugs in over winter due to the low humidity at that time and 1 great hatch with the vent plugs out.

 

[freshegg]

ok thank you I dont have a bunch of fog or moisture and another chick hatched so Ill leave them unless alot of fog or moisture on the windows thanks again Akane. The first chick that was pipping hasnt made any improvement cracking out the shell and I havent seen the egg move in hours do they ever start then stop for a hours like that or did it die?

 

[Akane]

They'll stop for hours. Sometimes a whole day. I had 5 pip and it tooks hours for the first to hatch. Then I left for 3hrs, came back to find nearly all pipped, some partially zipped, and waited another hour for the 2nd one. I finally went to bed at 4am with hardly any hatched and every egg partially hatched. Around noon the next day the last one finally finished zipping.

 

[freshegg]

ok were yours totally still the whole time? it didnt break through the layer under the shell by the looks of it.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I only pull one plug after a couple chicks have hatched.

 

[Akane]

Tap the bator and peep at them.

They'll usually respond by peeping or pushing on the shell some more. They will rest after making a breathing hole in the shell. If you clearly see a dried out chalk white membrane with no opening though the humidity may be too low making the membrane too tough so they can't get out. If that seems to be the problem you can slip a warm wet paper towel in there. I also one hatch had 5 eggs like that with too low of humidity so I threaded a wire through the vent holes and carefully poked a hole in each membrane where they'd tried to pip so they could breathe until I got the humidity up high enough for them to hatch.

If in doubt it's best not to mess with them though. Most of the time people do more harm than good because they get impatient. Chicks can take a long time hatching and so long as they can breathe they are fine for days provided they don't drown from too high of humidity. I've had the first pip get stuck and 2 days later after the hatch was done popped the end off the shell to have a completely healthy chick fall out. Drop it in the brooder and by the next day you don't even know which one it was.

 

[freshegg]

3 are hatched the 3rd one still has the shell on his head. 1 white 2 black so far looks like we will have 7 out of 9 atleast

 

[freshegg]

make that 2 white 1 black its hard to tell looking quick with there black skin.