eggs beginning to hatch and problems have arose, help

[momtoecl]

I can wait..really I can. I just don't want to wait too long and realize that I should have done something. So please tell me if I get to that point!
Is it ok for the hatched chick to stumble around in there? It likes to get close to the pipped egg. Sometimes s/he even leans on it or will lay its head near the pipped area. It cant' harm the third egg's chances can it?

I didn't line the bottom of the incubator (as I have now read that I should have) It's just chicks, eggs, the wire bottom, and a damp wash cloth.

???

 

[speckledhen]

Many people never help a chick having trouble. The rationale behind that is that if the chick cannot get out of its own shell, it isn't strong enough to keep as breeding stock and may always be not quite as healthy/vigorous as it should be. There is no set time to help and there is no set rule that you must help, either. It's up to you. If there are no other chicks in the bator that need the humidity, then you can do it anytime you want to. You just dont want to let out humidity and warmth by opening the bator to help one chick and risk others.
The little one won't hurt the other's chance to hatch. They normally bowl the other eggs around some.

 

[momtoecl]

We have had a "natural" hatch!!!!!! The third egg has hatched and it is a yellow chick. (Why are they different colors? What does their coloring tell us?) THe Older chick is thrilled to have a buddy. THe new yellow chick still has some strings attached to the egg shell. Will that take care of itself...should we be alarmed?

We ahve two more eggs but nothing on them yet. I hope they will pip soon. We are so excited around here!!!!

 

[speckledhen]

Those "strings" will let go just fine, dont worry. Congrats! I have no idea from the chick color what breed it is-there are just too many that are similar. Many white chickens begin life as yellow chicks.

 

[momtoecl]

The first chick (the one that I helped), seems to be more subdued than the one that hatched about an hour ago. Though it continues to move around and cheep, the new yellow one is all over the place and peeping like crazy compared to its older sibling. Could this difference be because one hatched naturally and the other by me?

Is it ok to leave them in the incubator for the next day or should I go ahead and move them out so they can eat/drink?? I still have two eggs in the incubator.

 

[speckledhen]

You can leave them in till tomorrow. If nothing else has pipped later tonight, you could take them out quickly so you don't lose humidity and heat in the bator too much. They don't need to eat and drink right away, though, and in fact, you may see them drinking water droplets inside the bator anyway. Just use your own judgement about whether or not they've dried sufficiently. I've done it both ways.

 

[momtoecl]

are there any pictures of what a chick should look like (as far as being dry) when you move it from incubator to brooder? I hate having to make a decision without seeing an example....

 

[speckledhen]

I had just moved this one to the brooder and wouldn't move one unless its at least that dry.

 

[momtoecl]

Thanks for the pic!. Our two chicks are not this dry yet. Maybe by tomorrow...??

 

[speckledhen]

Yep, by tomorrow they should be dry enough. They may still look sticky, but it will be dry. Like hair gel that dried clumpy, sometimes.