Hey all,
So, I have a few eggs going into lockdown tomorrow.
It seems like every time I put them in lockdown, a least two or three die that day. They could be dying in the three or four days following lockdown, since I don't open it until the first chick is fluffy, but it seems like the ones that don't make it stop moving the day after lockdown. And pretty much always they were rockers and rollers the day of lockdown; I candle them right before I place them.
When incubating, they are at 40% humidity, and 101F, sitting upright in an automatic egg turner. In lockdown, day 18, humidity up to 70%, same temp. I lay the eggs on their sides, with the most developed air cell side pointed up. I also tilt them a tiny tiny bit, so the air cell is pointed upwards a little.
Could they be drowning when I lay them on their side? Is there a way to tell where the beak might be at lockdown, to avoid that, if that's the case? In the past I was hatching shipped eggs, but the last two hatches were my own eggs, with the same results-half the hatch was lost after lockdown (very small hatches, 5 eggs and 2 eggs). I usually candle for signs of life at day 23, and float test day 26, then give up. My last two hatches, the first pips happened day 19, chicks hatched day 20, then nothing after that. Incubator is a little giant styrofoam with a fan. Thanks ahead for any/all advise. I'm just tired of losing babies after incubating for the whole time... if it can be prevented, or if I'm doing something wrong, I would love to know.
So, I have a few eggs going into lockdown tomorrow.
It seems like every time I put them in lockdown, a least two or three die that day. They could be dying in the three or four days following lockdown, since I don't open it until the first chick is fluffy, but it seems like the ones that don't make it stop moving the day after lockdown. And pretty much always they were rockers and rollers the day of lockdown; I candle them right before I place them.
When incubating, they are at 40% humidity, and 101F, sitting upright in an automatic egg turner. In lockdown, day 18, humidity up to 70%, same temp. I lay the eggs on their sides, with the most developed air cell side pointed up. I also tilt them a tiny tiny bit, so the air cell is pointed upwards a little.
Could they be drowning when I lay them on their side? Is there a way to tell where the beak might be at lockdown, to avoid that, if that's the case? In the past I was hatching shipped eggs, but the last two hatches were my own eggs, with the same results-half the hatch was lost after lockdown (very small hatches, 5 eggs and 2 eggs). I usually candle for signs of life at day 23, and float test day 26, then give up. My last two hatches, the first pips happened day 19, chicks hatched day 20, then nothing after that. Incubator is a little giant styrofoam with a fan. Thanks ahead for any/all advise. I'm just tired of losing babies after incubating for the whole time... if it can be prevented, or if I'm doing something wrong, I would love to know.
