What am I doing wrong???

[chkinut]

any pips?

 

[MuranoFarms]

There's more to it then temp and humidity when you break lockdown. In those few seconds the bator is open the membranes can dry out and shrink wrap the chicks. Remember, eggs are porous. They lose humidity. Also, there's been some debate about carbon dioxide levels in the incubator during lockdown. When you break lockdown, you change that also.

Trust me.....from someone who felt they "had' to break lockdown before. It's all downhill from there! Always give them a few days extra to hatch. Especially if none are pipped.

I'm sorry

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

No pips this morning when I got up. However, just now I heard one peeping and see that it had pipped the wrong end. It's on it's side now so hopefully it will be able to hatch. Nothing from the others.

Penturner...I know that everyone has their own opinions about hatching and usually these are from their own experiences. I've been hatching quite a bit for a few years now. Adding to my incubation experience has been watching my broody hens hatch. They DO NOT stay on the eggs all the time...including the last 3-4 days. In fact, she was off the eggs taking a dust bath for at least 5 minutes the day before she hatched the chick yesterday.

My personal opinion is that this is much less of an exact science that we make it to be. If a broody can be off the eggs at day 20 for 5-8 minutes then go on to hatch chicks the next day, then opening my incubator for 15 seconds is NOT going to destroy the hatch. That's just BS. If it was an exact science of humidity, temp and turning...then this should have been a 100% hatch because this Brinsea is absolutely exact.

I guess I really shouldn't have titled this "What am I doing wrong?" because I'm not really doing anything wrong and I know it. Perhaps I'm really just wanting others to commiserate with me.

That all said...I thank all of you who have been supportive and inquisitive. I'll keep you posted.

 

[chkinut]

i see ur point.....and i'm with you.....good luck to ur hatching and keep us updated!

 

[Texasboy4ever]

I'm with you gator I don't think taking the lid off for a few min. hurts anything and mother nature knows alot more than we do.

And welcome your daughter home for me I'm a Viet Nam Vet and no matter what job she did was very IMPORTANT to us all

 

[thespinningcottage]

c'mon, chickies!!

 

[klf73]

Hey OTG, long time no *see*. I agree with you, so many people freak out about opening the bator. My first hatch should have been a complete DISASTER. I was given eggs I thought were new, brought them home and popped them in the bator(a last minute homemade one that I had to put together still). I didn't know anything about it and didn't even plan to do it, my daughter was at a sleepover and they were chucking the eggs. Well, I went to turn the eggs after 2 weeks and had a pip. Seems some of the eggs had already been incubated for up to a week. That means during their development they came from their *incubator* and to my house where they sat on the counter while I built an incubator. They then went into my incubator and some got turned up until their last day with the bator getting opened all the time etc. and they ALL hatched. I didn't know any better and kept taking them out, opening the bator etc. I did EVERYTHING *wrong* but had a great hatch(all but one made it and that one had a genetic issue). I think one of the biggest problems is shipping, you and I have discussed this before. I have had great hatches with local eggs, and environment also plays a role. There are so many variables(genetics, temps, humidity,age of egg, fertility,breed hardiness) that it is impossible to make a perfect hatch every time. Look forward to hearing how things went.....

 

[chkinut]

Quote:
WOW! that's quite the interesting story! it's nice to hear. helps me relax a bit. u know, i hatched eggs as a teen with a styrofoam incubator in my room. i didn't know jack-crap about incubating back then, all i knew was to turn the eggs about 3X per day and add water to the resevoir and i don't remember having too many problems. and i can't really remember.....but i betcha that a teenage girl opened the bator quite a bit!! lol! however, i do respect and appreciate all that i've learned about lockdown and i will do my best to adhere to all the knowledge that i've come across.

 

[Penturner]

oldtimegator, An Incubator is an artificial substitute for a hen at best. How good of a substitute is questionable. Even if you have an incubator that is 100% of what you ask it to be. the Chicks themselves have as much of a role in getting hatched as it would, The parent birds also play a role. So no a 100% Incubator hardly produces a 100% hatch rate. at best it was a pleasant substitute. Being a substitute it is not entirely known if such liberties as a hen has of being off the nest can be taken. As far as we can know the incubator although at it's best may have been merely borderline adequate. I personally suspect the Incubator has evolved from many thousands of trial and error experiences and when something worked even from the days of incubating eggs over a wood burning stove at x inches above it. that it was held onto until even more secrets where discovered. I agree that warmth and humidity cannot possibly be the all importance that most people give to it. but until more is known and better results are produced. It is what is known. It is true that the Hen will get up even in the middle of an egg hatching, but she does not pick the egg up move it around and shine a bright light through it. I wonder if that does not startle the chick into freezing for several hours. I understand apprehension perfectly well and also agree that it is reasonable that you are experiencing some. But i also realize what the results of letting that apprehension make the decisions will do. Your heart is in the right place and regardless of how much it screams and hollers, keep your mind in the game as well. My money is still on them hatching, cept maybe that upside down one. it will probably need help before it is all over.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Update...

1 blue chick from broody hen, other chick died in the shell
upside down pipped chick...out but doesn't look good, very weak
1 more egg pipped