When do I lock down? Can I lock down w/ different age eggs???

[jfulcher]

Ok I have been reading through the forum all day..... Is locking down when you do not open the bator till they hatch? And if so, when do you do it? Can I do it with varied age eggs.... Will it kill the younger eggs if I do not turn them for awhile? Lay date was 06/07/11 for the first 3. idk what to do really... I have raised the humidity because they are close to hatch date apparently... 14-16 days incubation... Today is day 12 for the first 3. They are button quail eggs. Please help me!!!

 

[Denninmi]

Yeah, its better to put all of the eggs in the same day. If you can't, you really should have a second incubator for hatching.

Lockdown is the point where you raise the humidity, possibly lower the temp about half a degree (although not everyone does this), and stop turning. You should do this about 48 hours before they hatch.

Button quail aren't really going to hatch at 14 days, IMHO. At least none of mine ever have. 16-18 is more like it. I've had some that have taken as long as 22 days and still hatched out healthy chicks. I wouldn't lockdown for 2 more days.

Now, if you have only the one incubator, you can manually turn the other eggs. Yes, you will have to open it up, it will be a trade off on the humidity. You can mist the pipped/hatching eggs at that point with warm water to help keep humidity up for them. However, I wouldn't fret too much about the humidity -- I believe that TOO MUCH humidity is far worse for quail eggs than too little moisture in the air. Quail actually do better for me if done more like a dry hatch, incubation humidity in the upper 30s to about 40, lockdown humidity in the low to mid 50s. If I run them higher, I get a lot that drown in the shell at the point they should internally pip.

 

[logansgirls]

I have cookoo maoan chickens that have been the best brooding hens I have ever had but when the chicks started to hatch she would kill them .. What is up withthis?

 

[jfulcher]

Eep... I guess I need to lower my humidity1!!!! I was told to raise it to 80%!!!! Which is what it is at or close to right now!!! OMG I HOPE I DIDN'T KILL THEM!!!

 

[Denninmi]

Quote:
No, you didn't kill them by raising it on a short term basis for a day or two. It is the cumulative effect of humidity over the whole incubation period that determines how much moisture the egg loses prior to internal pip, and therefor how big the air cell. If its too humid the entire time, the air cell will be too small and there will be too much fluid around the chick's beak, and it will drown at the point it needs to start breathing atmospheric air.

 

[jfulcher]

Quote:
No, you didn't kill them by raising it on a short term basis for a day or two. It is the cumulative effect of humidity over the whole incubation period that determines how much moisture the egg loses prior to internal pip, and therefor how big the air cell. If its too humid the entire time, the air cell will be too small and there will be too much fluid around the chick's beak, and it will drown at the point it needs to start breathing atmospheric air.

OKAY!!! I lowered the humidity it is at 43%... And I couldn't resist checking for life.... So we placed them gently on a flat surface and saw if they "wiggled"...... 8 OF 10 ARE MOVING AROUND!!!! 2 that had no movement are only 1 and 2 days old... So, that would be a good sign am I right????