Chick Hatched and Made a Mess of the Incubator

[HairyRedFairy]

Hi there, had my first chick hatch yesterday and there was some blood and yolk sac that came out with him/her. There's quite a bit of "leftovers" all on the bottom of the incubator, and I was worried about the potential of bacteria or uncleanliness for the other eggs. I would assume that it's fine, but just wanted to make sure. I don't want to open the incubator, as he/she is in the fluffing process, and another chick is pipping. The other eggs still have anywhere from 1-7 days until hitching though, and I was curious about if I need to clean the incubator of the afterbirth, or if I should just leave it. Sorry if this is a silly question, but I'd rather be sure for their safety and health. Thanks!

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

I would assume it would be okay.....don't know of much bad stuff that could be in it..

 

[HairyRedFairy]

I would assume it would be okay.....don't know of much bad stuff that could be in it..

That's mostly what I thought, just figured I'd get a second opinion from some more experienced folks. Thanks for the response!

 

[Kenny_]

I have a wet paper towel handy whenever I take the chick out, and quickly mop it up. But that's just me.. everyone is different. I don't think it's necessary, but it certainly will help decrease chances of complications and also help you when you're cleaning up after the hatch is all over, too. Just depends on how fast you can be with the cleaning, how good you are at having everything all together, and how quickly your incubator gets things back to their status quo.

 

[HairyRedFairy]

I have a wet paper towel handy whenever I take the chick out, and quickly mop it up. But that's just me.. everyone is different. I don't think it's necessary, but it certainly will help decrease chances of complications and also help you when you're cleaning up after the hatch is all over, too. Just depends on how fast you can be with the cleaning, how good you are at having everything all together, and how quickly your incubator gets things back to their status quo.

Awesome, thank you!

 

[song of joy]

It shouldn't cause a problem for chicks that hatch around the same time (e.g., within 24 to 48 hours). However, it may very well cause problems for the eggs that are not due to hatch for several more days, as bacteria will grow on the waste residue in the incubator and spread to the unhatched eggs. That's why many folks use a separate incubator just for lock-down and hatching, especially when they have a staggered hatch.

It would be wise to clean and disinfect the incubator before the remainder of the eggs hatch. However, you'll have to time this so there are no pipped eggs while you're doing the cleaning.

If any of the hatching waste got on the unhatched eggs, that presents more of a problem if there are still several days left for incubation. I'm not sure how you would clean and disinfect the shell without washing off the bloom.

 

[red horse ranch]

I keep a large can of disinfecting wipes next to the incubator. If there is much residue in addition to the shell I will wipe it out when removing dried chicks. Bacteria does grow rapidly in the warm moist environment so try to get as much out as you can. I don't open the incubator if an egg is pipped but if you work quickly it shouldn't harm the eggs that haven't hatched.

 

[HairyRedFairy]

It shouldn't cause a problem for chicks that hatch around the same time (e.g., within 24 to 48 hours). However, it may very well cause problems for the eggs that are not due to hatch for several more days, as bacteria will grow on the waste residue in the incubator and spread to the unhatched eggs. That's why many folks use a separate incubator just for lock-down and hatching, especially when they have a staggered hatch.

It would be wise to clean and disinfect the incubator before the remainder of the eggs hatch. However, you'll have to time this so there are no pipped eggs while you're doing the cleaning.

If any of the hatching waste got on the unhatched eggs, that presents more of a problem if there are still several days left for incubation. I'm not sure how you would clean and disinfect the shell without washing off the bloom.

I washed the incubator this morning after I made sure none of the other eggs had pipped. Thanks for the help!

 

[HairyRedFairy]

I keep a large can of disinfecting wipes next to the incubator. If there is much residue in addition to the shell I will wipe it out when removing dried chicks. Bacteria does grow rapidly in the warm moist environment so try to get as much out as you can. I don't open the incubator if an egg is pipped but if you work quickly it shouldn't harm the eggs that haven't hatched.

There is some residue on the eggs. I don't have any wipes, but I'll do my best with some wet paper towels to get the shells cleaned. Thanks for your help!!