Early hatcher needs out of the bator- will it kill the others?

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I had a little over-achiever hatch out yesterday (day 19/20). It'll be 24 hours around lunchtime and she's already pecking at things in there. Fairly soon she's going to need water and food. Two more hatched out overnight. They are still soggy. The other eggs are still working on it.

Temps and humidity are doing great. Will I screw it all up if I slip the early bird out to move her to the brooder? I don't want to kill the rest.

 

[walkswithdog]

Chicks can in general go for about 48 hours without food or water. I'd stretch it some to get the most amount to hatch before you open the incubator. Less opening is always better if you can manage it. And bumper eggs (chick version of bumper cars) is GOOD for the others, it stimulates them to hatch.

 

[hinkjc]

They can actually go for 72 hours without food/water after just absorbing their yolk sac. I would wait for the hatch to complete. It sounds like it's moving along fine. And the pecking around will encourage the pokey ones. Good luck with your hatch.

 

[DANNY]

It will not kill the others. People make way too much of opening the bator during hatching. You just have to replace the humidity lost if any by spraying the eggs with warm water.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Thanks, y'all! I get so neurotic around hatch time. Sigh.

Two more hatched overnight and a fourth is almost out. I can hear her in there yelling right now.

No sign of pips or anything on the other eggs. I'll leave them alone another day and we'll see what happens. The three that are out are napping at the moment. No bumper cars for us. We're pooped!

Since tomorrow is our due date (although clearly I might have counted wrong!), I'll give them a little more time to perk. I just didn't want to starve and dehydrate number one in order to save the unhatched pile.

Thanks again for the reassurance!

 

[Ryu]

I have to open the Brinsea Ova Easy cabinet to add water every day. I take chicks out everytime I need to fill the water tray with no problems.

 

[jvls1942]

the drop in humidity affects the pipped eggs the most.. I try to remove chicks when I cannot see any pips.. then I spritz the inside of the bator with a spray bottle and close the door.. I do not spray the eggs.. you can if you want to, I just don't.. evaporating water is a coolant.. that is why I avoid spraying the eggs..

 

[DANNY]

I have always sprayed the eggs and never seen a problem.

 

[lauralou]

Update? Any more pips, zips, and/or chicks?

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
good for you..