Day 21 and had to open incubator twice 😨

[JenniferFarr]

Hi, I’m new to this forum. I just pickEd up raising chicken again after several years. I pulled out my old incubator and have a clutch of 7 eggs. Today is day 21 of lock down and considered the magic day for hatching, but I had a little bantam and full sized chick hatch out at day 19 and 20. The humidity was difficult to hold at about 65 and I needed to get the newbies out and into the brooder pen as they were banging around on all the other eggs. They hatched beautifully and are healthy. My concern is only one of the other eggs made a pip late last night and hasn’t made any progress and the others are doing nothing. How likely was it I killed the others when removing the two babies and added more water to raise the humidity to stay at 70+? I think I hear faint chirping from the pipped egg. I have a humidifier next to the incubator and the side I used to open it. When should I get rid of the eggs?

 

[Darrinhuns]

I’d get rid of the eggs at day 26 but there is also the possibility that some were infertile or quitters. Secondly, in the nest baby chicks knock eggs around all the time so that’s not really a huge deal. I don’t think you killed them by opening the incubator for such a brief amount of time

 

[ChookMaMaNSons]

This is how I incubate. So I think you should be fine as long as your had no spikes in humidity or your gadges were really off.

 

[JenniferFarr]

Thank you! Four of seven have hatched and are healthy and in the brooder with slightly older chicks. Since the eggs arrived having been a bit roughed up by the post office I will be happy with the four of the other three don’t make it. I had forgotten how anxiety provoking incubating is I think I won’t do this again for a little while. Thanks

 

[americanchicks]

Aww cutie. Yep its the stressfull fun of hatching!