crowding the incubator

[camoman1211]

well the bator was crowded with eggs (but not to) as the chicks started hatchhing they would move the others eggs around , how long should i let them stay in the bator. as i know i should not lift the top off no matter what
help me please

 

[DANNY]

IT does not hurt to take the top off as long as you replace the moisture you loose with a spray bottle with warm water before you put the top back on. If your incubator is full you can take out all the shells and the dry chicks to make room.

 

[ranchhand]

First,

from South Carolina!

The hatched chicks can live 48 hours or so in the incubator, because they are still absorbing nutrition from the yolk. I try to wait as long as possible, the rocking and rolling seem to motivate the unhatched to get busy. As well as all the cheeping!

 

[NancyDz]

I would try to do this when there is a lull though, if a chick is partially out or zipping I wouldnt mess with the humidity right yet.

Good luck with your hatch!

Nancy

 

[Chicken Fruit]

I'd leave them there for a day or so. They dont need any food or water that long, and they can just wait for their siblings to hatch.

 

[DANNY]

When an incubator is crowded or anytime for that matter the hatched eggs can cap onto the unhatched eggs a smother the unhatched chicks. This happens more than you would think. As long as you spray those eggs and keep the membranes moist it will not hurt to open the bator. People are just too paranoid. Ijust hatched 61 out of 67 and i probably opened the incubator 3 times a day for the 2 days they were hatching. You also need to monitor the hatching eggs for problems like getting a leg out and pipping all the way around with just a little of the membrane holding the cap on.

 

[Akane]

It depends on your climate. If I open the bator in the winter here everything dies. Doesn't matter if I spray water in or throw in wet paper towels. Every chick gets stuck and I have to help any that are still hatching. Now it's spring with water everywhere and humidity over 45% outside of the bator. I've opened the bator more than a dozen times this hatch. I just put the vent plugs in for a minute to drive up humidity before I open it and possibly throw a damp papertowel in to help boost it again afterward. Then I pull the vent plugs when it gets back to where I want it.

 

[DANNY]

Good point. Iwas refering more to hathcing eggs now. I also forgot about how much our climates vary. Here in the southeast it's not a problem.

 

[MagsC]

I always seem to have a problem too when I open the incubator during hatching. I am never able to get the humidity back up and from there the whole rest of the hatch goes down the tubes.

 

[MandyH]

To prevent this trouble next time, hatch them in an agg carton. They can't get rolled around and drowned. Opening the hatcher during the hatch WILL decrease your hatch rate, sometimes slightly, sometimes greatly.