5 hatched, more pipped -- humidity and chick transfer questions

[TXChookstead]

We're halfway through day 20, and 5 out of 20 eggs have hatched with more pipped. I have the NP 360. The directions say that 65-75% humidity is correct, but I'm reading on multiple threads here that anything above 65% is too high. I've removed a lot of water to try to control it, but it is hovering at around 72%. Yikes!? I do have a dehumidifier; should I bring it into the room?

Of course humidity will fluctuate as eggs hatch, but I'm not sure what the best baseline should be. Don't want to drown these little fluffs!

Also, this is a fairly large hatch for this incubator (20 out of a possible 22), and the "older" chicks are getting quite rambunctious. Is it safer to remove some of the hatched chicks/shells at some point than to leave them in?

Newbie here, so grateful for any advice!

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

72% is fine.
Take the hatched chicks out and put them in the brooder.

 

[TXChookstead]

Ahhh....very comforting. Thank you! I was alerted to the first hatch at 2:25 am by my 8 year old, who kept bouncing out of bed to check. I think someone is going to need a nap later....

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Ahhh....very comforting. Thank you! I was alerted to the first hatch at 2:25 am by my 8 year old, who kept bouncing out of bed to check. I think someone is going to need a nap later....

You or the 8 year old?

 

[TXChookstead]

No doubt both of us! LOL.

The first five are successfully transferred and sleeping under the heat plate. All looks fine in the incubator for the remaining ones....

Incidentally, what is a good height for the brooder plate? We have the one from Premier1. The low side is presently at 1 1/4 inches and the high side at 1 3/4 inches. They seem OK, just some quiet peeping every once in awhile. Most are clustered at the low end, but one is closer to the high end.

 

[Crankkt]

If you don't have anyone externally pipped then it should be fine to transfer the chicks over. The drop in humidity can shrink wrap the pipped chicks in the membrane.

I wouldn't worry too much about 72%.. and like you said, it will likely fluctuate as more eggs hatch.

A chicken chick can last up to 72 hours post hatch without food and water as they are absorbing their egg yolks but I am not that patient haha.

I've heard that the chicks bumping the unhatched eggs can help encourage them to hatch but also heard that the chick could drown.

P.s. I could also use a nap.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I would personally never let a chick go without food or water longer than 12 hours.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Lots of chicks that go through the mail without food and water die.
I've received whole boxes of shipped dead chicks before.

 

[TXChookstead]

We're now out about 18 hours since the first little one emerged, and 18 of the 20 have hatched and are in the brooder. We're just at day 21, so time will tell if the last two will pip. I hope so!

Interestingly, we had three hatching streaks with breaks inbetween. Five hatched in the first wave, nine in the second, and four in the most recent. It gave a bit of grace to get newly-dried chicks out of the incubator and into the brooder before they created too much havoc.

I'm also wondering if we might have some mixes, even thought I thought all the parents were Australorps (and certainly look it). All the chicks are black, but not all have that little bit of white around the eyes and on little rumps. At this point some have varying amounts of white, and some have hardly any. A few have a bit of brown to their beaks while others don't. I'm also noticing that some feet are pinker, and some are grayer. Hmmm.... No matter what they are, they are very cute!

 

[Huntmaster]

Congratulations on your new additions to your family sounds like a good hatch

 

[JustTC]

We're now out about 18 hours since the first little one emerged, and 18 of the 20 have hatched and are in the brooder. We're just at day 21, so time will tell if the last two will pip. I hope so!

Interestingly, we had three hatching streaks with breaks inbetween. Five hatched in the first wave, nine in the second, and four in the most recent. It gave a bit of grace to get newly-dried chicks out of the incubator and into the brooder before they created too much havoc.

I'm also wondering if we might have some mixes, even thought I thought all the parents were Australorps (and certainly look it). All the chicks are black, but not all have that little bit of white around the eyes and on little rumps. At this point some have varying amounts of white, and some have hardly any. A few have a bit of brown to their beaks while others don't. I'm also noticing that some feet are pinker, and some are grayer. Hmmm.... No matter what they are, they are very cute!

They sound adorable. Congratulations