4 eggs are hatching - have a few questions!

[chickielady70]

We have 4 little bantam eggs that are hatching. We can hear peeping and see the eggs moving quite a bit.
I have been reading a few other posts and see where everyone refers to this time as lockdown. Did I totally mess up when I opened the incubator this morning to re-wet the sponges and add water so the humidity would be at 80%? Temp has been holding well but the humidity had dropped to 65% before I added water. Any info would be great as this is our very first hatch and I am really excited and nervous! Thanks all!

 

[smchickfarm]

first of all congrats!!!!

yeah, you don't want to open the incubator during lockdown, especially if you have any that have pipped through the shell. If you open it, your humidity will go down and you run a risk of "shrink wrapping" the chick. I would now, just leave it alone, sit back

and enjoy watching them hatch!!!

Good Luck to you!!!

 

[chickielady70]

Thanks! I will do just that. If i have to bring the humitity up again I will just use the spray bottle through the little holes.

 

[chickielady70]

Ok. Watching these eggs like a hawk (oh! poor choice of words maybe?! LOL!) and I may surely go crazy before they get here!
Just took this picture and wonder if anyone can tell me if this is ok?
A little worried about the blood.

 

[chickielady70]

At about 9:15 last night we had our first hatch! My 11 yr old was so excited. He decided that one was his and named it Pip. By 6am we had 5 more hatch. Now have 7 with 3 others pipping.
What an adventure!

 

[fried green eggs]

Congrats on the new babies!!!

 

[chickielady70]

Thanks, Fried Green Eggs!

It has been a really wonderful thing to share with my boys.

I have another ? though. there are 4 eggs left, one bantam that is really struggling and 3 RIR's that have yet to pip. all the others are peeping and moving around but not really drying off too well. When can I move them to the brooder? Most of them just hatched this morning. I don't want to move them too soon.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

 

[fried green eggs]

Thats Great!!! Just Wait till all the eggs are done and Don't be in a rush to move them out of the incubator! They would have absorbed the yoke which gives them everything they need for 3 days. (Thats how hatcheries can ship day-old chicks without food or water) Yes they will dry slowly with the humidity but, thats Ok. Don't open the incubator or other eggs that have pipped a small hole can dry out and not be able to hatch. When all the eggs are hatched and all are pretty dry move them to the brooder. Wash your hands first and Pre-heat your brooder so, it's warm and waiting for the chicks and keep them warm when you transfer them so, they don't get chilled. You will need to dip each chicks beak into water and feed to teach them how to eat and drink. Watch them for awhile to make sure they know how & where the water is. You can handle the chicks but make sure they stay warm when you have them out of brooder holding them. Have Fun!!!

 

[croach510]

My babys don't dry off good in my bator. I have an LG still air. I had 3 eggs in lock down, I hatched on day 21 and stayed in the bator for about 24 hours till the second one hatched. The 3rd egg was a day behind and hadn't pipped yet, so I took the 2 little ones out. The 2nd had only been hatched about 2 hours. Once I put them in the brooder, it dried and fluffed up in about 3 hours. If you have no other eggs pipped yet, I would go ahead and put the other ones in the brooder.

 

[chickielady70]

Think I will move them in the morning after I get the boys to school. They seem a bit crowded in the bator right now. I have an LG too. Wish I could build my own one day!