2 hatched early and are knocking other eggs around. Is this OK?

[fastbob]

Today is day 21 for our 9 Dutch Bantam eggs in our Hova Bator. 2 hatched yesterday evening and are doing well after 24 hours. They are quite active and were actually rolling the other eggs around. About 10:00 this A.M. 2 or 3 more were rocking but after being rolled around for several hours we didn't see any more rocking. I got worried about them getting rolled around so I snatched the 2 chicks out about 4 P.M. using the warm wet paper towel trick and the humidity only dropped from around 70 to about 64 and then recovered in about 10 minutes to back around 70. Temp only dropped about 3 degrees and then recovered quickly so I don't think we had a problem there. We haven't seen any movement in the 3 eggs that were rocking for several hours now. Is it possible they died from being rolled around and if so how do we prevent this in the future? Thanks for any advice.

 

[gabrielle1976]

Hopefully they are just resting and you wil have babies tammrow. Someone else may know more good luck

 

[matlock585]

If you don't see any pipped you can candle each and see if they have internally pipped. If they have the whole egg will be dark, and if not you will still see the air cell. I hatched some fairly crowded hatches on their side and had to help chicks hatch both times. I hatched my last couple times with smaller number of eggs and sit them on paper cartons with the bottoms cut for circulation and I haven't had to help any hatch since.

 

[fastbob]

Thanks

 

[shardean]

I feel I have lost chicks because of the hatched chicks rolling them and putting the pipped hole down and they drowned..that is just a guess...so last batch I put them in rings I made out of a toilet paper roll. Saw it from someone else on here..cut rings very thin...I say I get 10 off one roll...and that worked great...the chicks didn't upset the eggs still waiting to hatch! I still pull the chicks out of the bator after they are dry! There are lots of people who don't do a lock down...and are very successful, with high hatch rates.