AIR CELL DAY 18

[woodrow21]

Hi everyone,
This is my first time incubating eggs, and sadly out of the 12, only 1 was fertilized and made it this far. We are on day 19, but the photo shows the air cell markings from day 18, just before I took the turner out of the incubator. I ran the incubator with much too high of humidity because this unit was terrible to control. It ran around 50-60%, but whenever it dropped and I added water, it would jump to over 70 for a day or so. To me, the air cell looks to be about day 14. I’m confident on my dates, I started counting day 1 24 hours after being placed. Everything else looks great inside the egg, it’s completely dark and it is wiggling a lot this morning.
Anyway, upon reading other threads, I lowered the humidity last night and ran it dry. I woke up and humidity is REALLY low. 15%. No pip to be seen. Should I add water? I am so anxious.
Thanks for any help!

 

[muddy75]

Do you have any clean, plain sponges? If not I would recommend picking up a package. The humidity is much easier to control in this particular incubator by adding/subtracting wet sponge pieces. Since you are so close to hatch date, you should raise the humidity but I would recommend keeping it around 50-55 during lockdown.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I've hatched eggs with smallish aircells. I wouldn't worry too much.

Raise the humidity to 55% - 65%?

 

[woodrow21]

Do you have any clean, plain sponges? If not I would recommend picking up a package. The humidity is much easier to control in this particular incubator by adding/subtracting wet sponge pieces. Since you are so close to hatch date, you should raise the humidity but I would recommend keeping it around 50-55 during lockdown.

Great suggestion, I’ll pick some up for next time. I just put some water through a straw (I’m trying not to open the incubator) and it’s just under 50% now.

 

[Mellowmalt]

just don't overcompensate during lockdown now, the egg is alive and the air cell looks ok, with less eggs in the incubator you can generally have a higher humidity so you should be ok just carry on and maintan humidy over 60% from now on to make sure it can hatch ok.

There is no problem with a chick being born with a bit more liquid, might take it a bit longer to dry but it won't benefit from a lower humidity now so just hope for the best

 

[Sannasilkie]

Hey, I have a similar issue, I also had 15 eggs but only one fertilized. It’s now day 20 and the air cell marking is from day 17, it looks small compared to internet pics.
did your fellow hatch ok?

 

[Sannasilkie]

Hey, I have a similar issue, I also had 15 eggs but only one fertilized. It’s now day 20 and the air cell marking is from day 17, it looks small compared to internet pics.
did your fellow hatch ok?

Also, mine is not moving at all, no rocking or any signs of life. I did check it before lock down and there was little movement

 

[woodrow21]

Hey, I have a similar issue, I also had 15 eggs but only one fertilized. It’s now day 20 and the air cell marking is from day 17, it looks small compared to internet pics.
did your fellow hatch ok?

She hatched perfectly well! She started pipping on day 20 in the middle of the night and hatched on day 20 at 8:30 pm. She’s healthy and super cute. I did not do anything special for humidity. I lowered it on day 19, but then got nervous and put it back up to 65-70%.
Good luck! I hope things go well I attached a photo. She was lonely, but we took her to be with some of my parents’ chicks when she was 2 days old.

 

[Sannasilkie]

So cute
Did you see the egg moving before the pipping?
I really hope this baby will make it too, I’m so worried as I see no movement or anything. It’s hard being a first time chicken mama
I’m going to bed now and hoping to see some signs of life in the morning!
Here it’s now 9pm and I put the egg in the incubator on the 17.3 around the same time in the evening.

 

[woodrow21]

I didn’t see movement until after pipping, and even then it was hours with no movement. In fact, I candled on day 18 right before lockdown and I didn’t even see movement inside the egg. I wouldn’t worry about not seeing movement at this point. Keep me updated!!