Hatch day

[SarahCNZ]

Finally one of my eggs are hatching! This is my first time is there anything I need to do or not do during this time? How long can this process take?

 

[JaeG]

How exciting! They will externally pip then sit and finish absorbing their remaining yolk for around 24 hours (sometimes a bit more or less). When they are ready they should unzip pretty quickly (within around an hour) and once they start they shouldn't stop.

If they keep making their pip hole bigger and bigger it means they are stuck and if they stop unzipping they are stuck. But hopefully that won't happen and it will all go as planned. You can help stuck chicks if you want to (I always do because I figure I must've done something wrong) and there's a great article on here I can find you about assisted hatching but I'm sure you won't need it.

You can leave chicken chicks in the incubator for up to 3 days but if they start kicking the other eggs around its best to get them out as that wouldn't happen under a hen.

If you're in the North Island of NZ it's pretty humid at the moment so opening the incubator to whip a chick out (just make sure they are dry and fluffy first) shouldn't be a problem. And with rain headed for the South Island I'm sure it would be humid enough down there too. Just make sure your brooder is nice and toasty and they'll be just fine.

 

[SarahCNZ]

How exciting! They will externally pip then sit and finish absorbing their remaining yolk for around 24 hours (sometimes a bit more or less). When they are ready they should unzip pretty quickly (within around an hour) and once they start they shouldn't stop.

If they keep making their pip hole bigger and bigger it means they are stuck and if they stop unzipping they are stuck. But hopefully that won't happen and it will all go as planned. You can help stuck chicks if you want to (I always do because I figure I must've done something wrong) and there's a great article on here I can find you about assisted hatching but I'm sure you won't need it.

You can leave chicken chicks in the incubator for up to 3 days but if they start kicking the other eggs around its best to get them out as that wouldn't happen under a hen.

If you're in the North Island of NZ it's pretty humid at the moment so opening the incubator to whip a chick out (just make sure they are dry and fluffy first) shouldn't be a problem. And with rain headed for the South Island I'm sure it would be humid enough down there too. Just make sure your brooder is nice and toasty and they'll be just fine.

 

[SarahCNZ]

This is him so far I'm unsure exactly how long he's been in this stage but I'll check back in the morning and see how he's going. Thank you!

 

[SarahCNZ]

How exciting! They will externally pip then sit and finish absorbing their remaining yolk for around 24 hours (sometimes a bit more or less). When they are ready they should unzip pretty quickly (within around an hour) and once they start they shouldn't stop.

If they keep making their pip hole bigger and bigger it means they are stuck and if they stop unzipping they are stuck. But hopefully that won't happen and it will all go as planned. You can help stuck chicks if you want to (I always do because I figure I must've done something wrong) and there's a great article on here I can find you about assisted hatching but I'm sure you won't need it.

You can leave chicken chicks in the incubator for up to 3 days but if they start kicking the other eggs around its best to get them out as that wouldn't happen under a hen.

If you're in the North Island of NZ it's pretty humid at the moment so opening the incubator to whip a chick out (just make sure they are dry and fluffy first) shouldn't be a problem. And with rain headed for the South Island I'm sure it would be humid enough down there too. Just make sure your brooder is nice and toasty and they'll be just fine.

Yay I am a new mom this morning, however I have a questionif you can help me with an answer.
Is it normal for him to be squawking alot? He seems quite unsettled will it do harm to cuddle him? Can he die if he's away from the heat to long.

 

[JaeG]

Congratulations! You'll be warm enough to snuggle with (I've been known to have quail chicks down my top). S/he should be a lot happier once some brothers and sisters have hatched. S/he is probably yelling to tell them to hurry up.