Chicks are hatching and I have more questions....

[Chris Herzog]

Ok guys, I have a few more questions. I started lock-down with 38 eggs in the incubator and today is day 20. So far 11 of the eggs have hatched between yesterday morning (Wednesday at 3am) and now (Thursday at 8:15pm). My first question is this…Knowing that a chick can live for 3 days without food or water once it has hatched, when should I start taking the chicks out of the incubator and put them in the brooder. I know that they have to be dry first and I know that by the end of day three (tomorrow night) some chicks will be dry and some won’t be but now I have concerns about the ones that hatched early and them not eating or drinking for longer then the three days. Should I not worry about this and leave everyone in the incubator until they are dry Saturday or Sunday or just start taking them out as they are dry?

 

[eggdd]

chris:

don't worry so much.

as long as there no more eggs hatching (have any pipped?) - - remove the dry ones and leave the wets ones.

it's all good.

if you do have pipped eggs - - then the situation gets a bit trickier - - otherwise, remove them as needed.

 

[Chris Herzog]

Yes I do have about 5 or maybe 6 eggs that have pipped and another chick that hatched since I posted this.

 

[eggdd]

Quote:
well, hopefully all of them will be hatched by morning. it gets trickier if there are pipped eggs due to shrink wrapping. you don't really want to open the incubator. doesn't sound like this will be an issue for you as they'll hatch before morning (probably). then you can open freely.

 

[Chris Herzog]

Thanks for the info.....LOL! OK I'll try and say calm until tomorrow night. I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope all of them hatch by then. If that happens I'll just remove the dry chicks at that time leaving the wet chicks in until they dry. Then any eggs that have not pipped at that time (by the end of the day tomorrow) will just stay in the incubator for a few more days to be monitored. Number 13 is half way out!!! It's crazy, some come right out with-in minutes and some take all day.