I also read somewhere on the boards about someone who took the whole incubator into the bathroom and would run the shower to get it steamy then they would open the incubator- that way the chicks didn't get shrink-wrapped by dry air....They need to stay in the incubator until they are totally dry and fluffy. That is at least 12 hours. They can stay in there for 24 hours before they start acting all hot and bothered. Remember the incubator is running at 100 degrees. When you use the heat lamp, you are going to run it around 95 degrees. So, you see the iincubator is running too hot to leave them in there for too long.
I try to go in once a day and grab all the chicks that I can. I wait as long as possible before I do my first grab as to not shrink wrap any chicks that are trying to hatch. It is important not to go in after a chick and end up disrupting the hatching process of the other chicks. If at 24 hours, the chick still looks good and not bothered by the heat, then I won't hurry to go in after it. I look around and make sure no one else looks like they are pipping. If it looks like the chick is getting hot and panting, then I will mist extra water in the incubator BEFORE opening it. I get my Dh to lift the lid just enough that I can grab the chick and then he lowers the lid immediately. It is my hope that misting water and raising the humidity will compensate for my quick reach and grab
This is harder than it seems. When you lift the incubator, nasty water comes out of the bottom. You have to unplug it so, you will get a drop in temps, PLUS have to avoid triping over the cord. It takes a while to get a bathroom that steamy too. Add to that you need a large enough flat, uncluttered surface to set the incubator on... It just gets really complicated.
very good info
