I just purchased a Genesis 1588. It is set up and ready for my eggs to arrive in the mail next week. I got carried away with the egg buying and have 2 dozen plus extras coming. I'm assuming around a 50% hatch rate (hopefully) but if by chance I get a higher rate...how many chicks can fit inside the compartment...certainly not 30! Anyone know how many can fit if I leave them in there to dry? Obviously I am a first time egg hatcher.
Theoretically a bator can hold as many chicks as eggs, in reality I think it's crazy. I use a LG foam bator w/egg turner. I can set over 40 eggs, but after 7/8 hatch it's too chaotic in there. Many people do not believe in opening the bator until the hatch is completely done. I am not one of them. I had a chick get hurt and chip it's beak because there was 7 or 8 jumping around pushing each other (off the thermometer at that) and I decided then not to have that many in there at once if I could help it. So as long as I get a break in chicks zipping and actually hatching, once they are up and active and there is more than one, I will quickly pull them to the brooder. Granted, when you open the bator during hatch you increase the chance of the humidity dipping and possibly causing a chick to shrink wrap. (You increase the chance. Does not mean it will happen.) I shoot for 75% humidity during lockdown/hatch and usually end up above that, so I have a little leway with humidity. Overall, you should do what you are comfortable doing. If you leave them in there and it starts getting chaotic, and you have a break in hatchers, pull some out if you are comfortable doing that. If not, leave them until the end. My biggest advice is to keep the humidity up so that if it is neccessary to open the bator you have a little leeway yourself.
