*UPDATE ~ 11 chicks hatched..."what kind is that one?!"

[cmom]

The hatch date can very some and the eggs can hatch early or late depending on temperature fluctuations and humidity. If the temp runs a little high the eggs can hatch early. If the temp runs a little low then they can hatch a little late.

My hatch date is July 16th. I set the eggs for hatching yesterday morning and had a hatch in the late afternoon at day 18 and 3 more hatch today at day 19. I only put a dozen eggs in that a friend had given me and 2 turned out to be infertile. My temp has been averaging around 100 degrees.

 

[WillowWoodsFarm]

My temp has been pretty consistant at 99.5-100* through out the whole incubation time. Now I have been up all night because Im having problems with my humidity levels. I took my eggs out of the turner lastnight and was getting them ready for lock down and my humidity shot through the roof! I took the wet sponge and wet paper towel out and then it dropped down to 50%

I slowly started putting the pieces of sponges back in and now I am FINALLY back up to 65%. Hopefully, it will stay that way. I should've known something like this was going to happen, its been too perfect the whole time.

Should the holes in the top be covered during lockdown?

 

[Gypsy07]

Y'know, if your humidity has been good up till lockdown and your eggs have lost the correct amount of moisture by day 18, lockdown humidity spikes aren't really going to do any harm. High lockdown humidity isn't really a cause for concern. I mean, best not to have it up at 99% or anything, but personally I like to hatch at 85%+ and I've never had any problems doing it. Aim for 65% if that's what you're going for, but don't panic if it gets above 70% or even 75%. And remember, whatever it's sitting at, it'll rise once the chicks start hatching. Again, that's not something to panic about. Best to leave the bator shut with high humidity rather than open it to bring the humidity down a bit and risk compromising the rest of the hatch.

I'm not sure about the holes in the top because you haven't mentioned what kind of bator you're using. As a rough guide, any ventilation holes in most bators should be fully open for lockdown as the chicks need a lot of oxygen at this stage, but please don't follow that advice without checking it first! Best thing to do is read the instructions that came with your bator and see what they advise. If you don't have any instructions, see if you can look them up online. Lots of manufacturers' websites have instruction downloads. If you can't find any info online, come back here and tell us what kind of bator it and someone will be able to help you.

 

[WillowWoodsFarm]

Thanks Gypsy, you have been alot of help throughout my experiance and you have really kept me sane a couple of times, lol. I have a still air 'Little Giant' incubator. I know I still have the instructions but half the time I put stuff up so my kids dont get ahold of it (or my husband, who throws EVERYTHING away, ugh) and then dont remember where I put it, lol. Im gonna look for them and see what it says. I feel like they should be out. Perhaps, subconsciously I remember this from when I did read the instruction manual.

 

[Gypsy07]

Quote:
Ahem. Don't thank me, I just get all my info from other websites. LOL! If you go to Brinsea's site you can download a really good incubation handbook that explains humidity and moisture loss very clearly. I find it always helps me if I understand WHY I should be doing what I've been advised to do.

You know, if your LG is still air and your temps have been 99.5-100, you might expect your eggs to hatch a bit late. I think the advised temp for still air incubation in order to get 99.5 inside the egg is 101-101.5 measured at the level of the tops of the eggs. (If you have had a temp probe inside a water wiggler then ignore what I'm saying, your temp is great!)

 

[WillowWoodsFarm]

Ok, so then I wont start to panic if they dont start pipping or hatching on Monday. Temp probe...water wiggler...

now you just lost me, lol.

 

[Gypsy07]

Have a look on Amazon. A water wiggler is just a cheap kids toy. It's full of water and it has a hole through the middle of it. You get a thermometer with a probe (loads of the digital ones have this) and you put the probe inside the middle of the water wiggler. The you incubate the water wiggler with the rest of your eggs, and the temperature that your thermometer reads inside your wiggler is roughly the temperature inside your eggs, which should be as close to 99.5 as you can get it.

I got a wiggler to set my mind at rest. My still air bator has a really cheap thermostat; it switches on at 96F and stays on to 103F, which worried me. I wasn't sure what to set it at and the fluctuations seemed awful. But that's just the air temp, and with a probe inside a water wiggler, I could see that the internal temp of the 'egg' doesn't vary very much at all. I'll post a photo for you if I can find my camera...

 

[WillowWoodsFarm]

Oh, thats awesome! I am definately going to get one. I have been a heck of a time with my temp. since I put my eggs in lockdown...hopefully it doesnt hurt my chicks

I woke up this morning and it was at 102* I have no idea how long it was like that! When I went to bed and for a few hours before that, it was perfect (after messing with it for half the day). Now same thing again...I have been messing with it all day. Im exhausted

I hope I get at least one chick outta 29!

 

[MommaB]

My first hatch I slept on the couch for 3 nights when I started hearing peeping. I couldn't bear not to be near them. It is like your expecting all over again.

 

[WillowWoodsFarm]

Quote:
When do you think I should start hearing them peep? The first night I put them in lockdown, my God-mother and I thought we heard one peep but I havent heard them since...