Hello - Very excited! chicks about to hatch

[TwoCrows]

Slippery surfaces can cause splay leg in the incubator. And this is not a good time open the incubator, especially if there is any pipping going on. So I think you will have to just let things be. I like to use that rubber shelf liner. The stuff with the tiny holes. But being that the chick is tall and the ceiling is low, maybe this will help him not get splay leg, I am not sure.

As for the one egg with the dent, it is fine. Don't pick any shell off. If he needs more oxygen, he will make the hole bigger.

Keep us posted!

 

[TwoCrows]

You might throw a kitchen towel over the window of the incubator to keep the chicks quiet and not scampering around as so they slip. Make it dark inside the incubator. Don't over any vents as you want maximum air flow into the bator. But if you darken it a bit, they may not try to stand as much and cause splay leg. Just a thought.

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. It is generally best to let the chicks do the work on their own. You can easily injure a chick trying to help it out of its shell. Chicks that cannot get out on their own, typically have something wrong with them and do not survive anyway. Please feel free to ask any more questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your hatch.

 

[drumstick diva]

I'm excited too. Sending good hatching vibes your way

 

[Twiga]

Woke this morning to find chick nr two is out! Such a great surprise. We still have two eggs and today was the due date, so I am not sure whether to get my first two out of the incubator where they can stand properly and move around or leave them in incase the next two start to hatch. No signs of any pipping from the second two eggs. If I open the incubator the humidity is lost and the heat will drop a little. Will that kill off the chances for the second two? The first ones cannot reach the water in the incubator but I guess that is ok as they are in a humid atmosphere. what do you experts think?

 

[Twiga]

That is a really good idea and I can easily cover them where they are without obstructing air vents. thanks !

 

[Michael OShay]

You should leave them in the incubator. Chicks can easily live for 3 days off of the nutrients from their yolk sacs which is how hatcheries are able to ship them long distances.

 

[Twiga]

Thanks Michael, , and what about the water - I am sure the level in the incubator must be getting low but I can only refill by opening the lid, which is like a bell over a round plate. Opening it loses all the humidity and a lot of the temp.

 

[Twiga]

Well we got the first two out - it seemed cruel to keep them in there where they couldn't stand and were slipping around. They are much happier now and both started eating chick crumbs straight away. maybe I have lost the other two but they are in the incubator and I will wait another day to be sure. There was absolutely no moving or squeaking going on so I fear they are not viable.
will post pics of first two when I work out how! They already have feathery feet!

 

[Michael OShay]

Thanks Michael, , and what about the water - I am sure the level in the incubator must be getting low but I can only refill by opening the lid, which is like a bell over a round plate. Opening it loses all the humidity and a lot of the temp.

Sorry I didn't get back to you before your last post. It has been a busy day, and you wouldn't believe how long the string of BYC posts on my email is. Congratulations on the two that hatched, and I'm sorry if you lost the other two. We can still hope that they hatch. Good luck with your chicks.