Help! Did not remove incubation tray before hatching

[mmmarta]

I am dumb. I misread the instructions, and did not remove the incubation tray before the lockdown. The first chick hatched 6hs ago, one is piping, one egg has a crack.

What do I do?

The hatched chick can barely stand up, there is not enough space. It looks dry now. But the other one started hatching more than 6 hours ago, and I read opening the incubator can make him stop hatching.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Relax. It is not the end of the world. As long as the automatic turner is not turning they'll be OK. I'm not familiar with that specific incubator so I'm not sure how the turner works. Them having limited head space is not a problem.

If you open the incubator when a chick has pipped there is a risk it could shrink-wrap. Usually shrink-wrap does not happen if you open it but there is a risk so it's best not to open it during hatch. If I have an emergency I'll open mine and take that risk, usually nothing bad happens. But since something could possibly happen why take an unnecessary risk?

If the turner is not turning I'd leave them alone. If the turner is turning and one could get injured by the turner I'd open it and take care of the turner. To me it would be worth the small risk of shrink-wrapping a hatching chick.

Congratulations on the hatch so far and good luck on the rest.

 

[mmmarta]

Thank you so much!
The metal bolt that turns the grid (that I removed) is still moving, but very very slowly.

So I will let the pipped ones hatch, and take the first ones out when they are dry. Would you at this point mess with removing the tray, even if other eggs did not pip? I would need to take the eggs outside for a minute, so I should probably let the eggs be?

The first chick left something looking like poo in the incubator. It got stuck to one of the eggs. Should I try and clean it, when I open the incubator the get the hatched chicks out?

 

[Flat Earth]

Thank you so much!
The metal bolt that turns the grid (that I removed) is still moving, but very very slowly.

So I will let the pipped ones hatch, and take the first ones out when they are dry. Would you at this point mess with removing the tray, even if other eggs did not pip? I would need to take the eggs outside for a minute, so I should probably let the eggs be?

The first chick left something looking like poo in the incubator. It got stuck to one of the eggs. Should I try and clean it, when I open the incubator the get the hatched chicks out?

You be fine, i leave it alone for now, it be as if there moma was over them. if they are making sounds of distress? Then i act on moving the tray off, be ready with the stuff to place them and do it careful. Happy Hatching!

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you are going to open it anyway take the tray out just so you stop worrying about it. It won't matter to the chicks.

That is poop. I'd leave it but if you want to wipe it off you can. I don't think it will matter either way.

 

[mmmarta]

So, I moved the chick out, and moved out the tray. 4 more hatched, and are healthy in the brooder (one was stuck with its feathers to its shell for 8 hours, so I wanted to free it). Yay.

Another drama:
My fiance was overeager, and helped the 6th chick hatch He peeled a bit of shell on a pipped egg, leaving the membrane intact. He said the pip did not go bigger since yesterday (~6hs).

The chick hatched but unfortunately, the yolk was not absorbed. I left it alone in the incubator, and the yolk is dry now. The chick is still connected to it with a dry cord.

Should I just let the little one be? From what I read, it's likely to die... I don't suppose i can cut the cord to let him free of the dried yolk?

Thank you so much.

 

[mmmarta]

 

[mmmarta]

For posterity: the chick with the unabsorbed yolk is doing ok. I kept him in the incubator for a day, no touching, hands off. The yolk shrunk, maybe it got absorbed. The dry bit and the cord finally broke off, and the chick is now enjoing the company of other chicks in the brooder.

Hatch complete!

 

[Chickeria]

That's great the little one with the dried part could join the others! Glad to hear all are doing well - Congrats on your beautiful babies