Hatching Questions - Moving Chicks Mid-"Hatch"

[thegreypony]

Our hatch began yesterday morning - day 21 (pip the night before but Bob emerged at 8 am yesterday). We have 29 eggs in a hovabator as part of a 4-H project - last candle, we think 26 were viable (a 7 yo & 9 yo are doing this project). We've never done this before and the instructional materials about the hatch itself are not detailed AT ALL so I'm sorry if these questions seem stupid...I'm reading on here but need some advice.

These eggs are broilers and we aren't keeping them - the chicks are supposed to go back to the 4-H office today but I don't think everyone is going to be out based on what I'm seeing right now.

We have 11 very active chicks stumbling around in the bator. Can I get them out now and move to brooder if I mist the bator w/warm water? I've got 5-6 eggs with "starts" and a couple have the tips of beaks poking through...can I "help" these? (I know, I know but these are destined for the freezer in a month and change, not a genetic pool.) I'm pretty sure the 4-H office can let me keep the bator another couple of days to accomodate the slow pokes and I can put the other chicks in a brooder and keep them at home until the hatch is done. But the bator is starting to look like a mosh pit at a punk rock concert with these drunkards stumbling all over the place and bumping & rolling the not hatched eggs.

Your best advice please.....thanks so much!!!

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

If the hatched ones are less than 3 days since they hatched:

1. they will be fine
2. I wouldn't personally open the bator until the hatch is finished....you lose too much moist air and temp.
3. as for "helping" one, I do it occasionally, but only once the hatch is complete and I am moving babies to the brooder. General rule of thumb that was given to me was to give them at least 24 hrs from the time they pip until you even think about helping

Hope this helps

Have a great day

 

[thegreypony]

Thank you so much for your quick reply and the very helpful answers. Having never done this, I've no point of reference and it's truly starting to look pretty crazy in that box!
thanks, again!

 

[joebryant]

1. Sit down
2. Put your hands under you and keep them there, away from the incubator.

 

[Chipper]

At this point, anytime you open the bator,you will reduce the chances for the remaining eggs to hatch.No,you do not want to go in and help the ones that have pipped,they will do fine on thier own.
I know it is not easy but,try to have lots of patients and the more time you spend looking into the bator,the harder it will be to resist the temptation.The hatched chicks can spend up to 3 days in there and be fine.Your hatch should be over well before that so again,hang tight for now and good luck.

Make sure any vent plugs,on top are out.

 

[thegreypony]

oh, the vent plugs! nothing in the instructions about taking those out! running home to pull them right now!! Thanks so much!!
this is why i love byc!!!!!

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Usually it's best not to remove the vent plugs unless there's a specific reason for doing so, such as moisture on the top of the incubator. The excess moisture/humidity comes from the newly-hatched chicks and eggs. I've never had to remove a plug though my humidity went very high during the actual hatch (just not high enough to cause condensation).

 

[thegreypony]

just checking back in...I took the plug out (it only has one). There is condensation on the lid at the corners of the window. Chicks all appear to be doing well...14 have hatched and there is another one about to unzip as I type.

Should I put the plug back in once the condensation evaporates? will it evaporate?

This is exciting and after the first chick hatched I thought I'd just buy an incubator so we could do this again...the uncertainty of the hatch makes the certainty of buying 8 mo pullets much more appealing! ;-)

 

[lisal124]

I am getting ready to put eggs in the incubator in about 18 hours and thought the air vents were supposed to be out the entire time...should I put them back in before I put the eggs in?

 

[thegreypony]

I think (I don't really know for sure as this is the first time - and probably last time - we've done this) but I think the plugs are supposed to be in to maintain humidity. I did go back and look at the materials that were sent from the 4-H office and found a tiny blurb about taking the plug out but it was very vague. And there wasn't anything in there at all about keeping the plug in....who knows??? It was taped to the bator when I picked it up and the agent wasn't in.

good luck with your hatch!