Chicks Wreaking Havoc in 'Bator

[Crunchie]

So, it's now day 21 and I've got 3 chicks already hatched and 4 other eggs pipped. The 3 that are out are having a total party in the 'bator! Is it ok that they are rolling the other eggs all over the place? I thought you needed to stop turning the eggs 3 days before hatch so that the chicks could orient themselves within the egg in order to pip and break out--will all of this rolling around disorient the remaining chicks enough to harm their potential to hatch? The chicks are fluffing up well, but they aren't completely dry so I didn't want to move them to the brooder just yet.

Thanks! Anxious, excited, and worried newbie to hatching here, can ya tell??

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi!
It hurts to watch them them rolling the unhatched eggs all around, doesn't it?

If they are pipped then they have 'oriented' and will be fine (usually).
If you can find some of that holey non-skid shelf liner stuff, that *seems* to lessen it a bit.
Try not to open the incubator til the rest have hatched.

Congratulations on the new hatchlings and good luck with the rest!
Pics asap

Lisa

 

[NewGuineaChooks]

I'm definitely in the minority here, but I opened my incubator, took out the 3 little football players today, and then misted the 'bator with a bottle of warm water to push the humidity up again. One of mine pipped upside down yesterday in spite of everything, so I'm glad I broke the rules and opened the incubator.

(this is my first time though, and who knows if the others will hatch.)

 

[Crunchie]

Thanks for the replies!!

Well, now we're up to 5 little fuzzy party-goers in there (with one more zipping as we speak)! Whew. I'm trying to just go ahead and let things be, but I've got the brooder all fired up and warm so I would be lying if I said I weren't pretty tempted to get the 3 that are all dry out of there. I'm gonna hold off for now, though. Obviously the most recent 2 to hatch made it just fine with all of the egg-soccer!

It is really hard to just watch and not intervene!! I've been hovering all day!

 

[jkcove08]

Just let them go, you might loose one to rolling but you never know. I have had a couple that were pipped and then rolled and then they drowned from fluid leaking out. This might have happened anyway. The big thing I find it the comotion outside the shell encourages the rest to get a hatching!!!! If you pull out the chirping then the rest dont know what to do so well.. Leave them in and just know that what ever doesnt hatch might not have anyway!!! We cant have 100% hatches every single time. Jenn

 

[Davaroo]

Once they get their legs under them and are scrambling around, I remove them to the natal brooder.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, they like to do that. I always break rules so I put the hatched on one side and the unhatched on the other.