How long should you keep a chick in the incubator after it hatches?

[M To The Maxx]

I just got a incubator I would like to know.

 

[chickenlittle32]

They can stay 48 hrs because they still have yolk that they can absorb.

A very important rule that many people forget....DO NOT open the incubator to get a chick out if there are more eggs with pips. That can mess up the humidity and kill the chick.

 

[NancyP]

Hi, Keep them in at least till they dry out. The best is to leave them till the hatch is done and take them all out at the same time. You will have approximately 3 days they will be fine before needing food and water.
Nancy

 

[M To The Maxx]

So the chicks will eat the yolk?

 

[NancyP]

Not literally eat it

. Their bodies absorb it through the umbilical.

 

[M To The Maxx]

That is very interesting.

 

[dancingbear]

I see you're in Florida. I'm in KY, and it's pretty humid here, in the summer. If you get 2 hygrometers, and have 1 in the 'bator, and 1 outside the 'bator in the room where you hatch, it'll tell you whether it's safe to open the 'bator.

I keep my humidity in the 'bator about 45% for incubation, (which means I don't add water at all, unless we have a cool spell and the humidity drops) and between 55%-60% for the last three days, to hatch. My ambient humidity in the room was nearly 70%, so it was ok to open the 'bator to take out some chicks. It wasn't going to dry them out. Had the room humidity been lower than the 'bator humidity, I would not have wanted to open it.

I have to keep silicon gel moisture absorbers in the salt, during the summer, or it'll turn into a big soggy mess.

Wintertime here, is dryer, I'd be more careful about opening the 'bator if I set any eggs then. I don't know if Florida ever dries out enough to be concerned about it.

You might consider starting a thread asking incubation advice from people specifically in humid climates. It makes quite a difference.