I Did It!!!

[ginznchix]

I just hatched my first chick! I can't believe it actually worked! He's rolling around and thrashing and yelling his head off! For real I have to leave him in there until they all hatch? I have one more hatching but nothing from the other 5 yet. Today is day 21. How many days do I give the rest before I take the first ones out? He's really all right rolling around in there?! Now I'm a nervous mother.

 

[SilkiePuff]

Quote:
I've heard its good practice to leave them in there for 2-3 days... but thats me..some might do it different.. but i'm still fairly new too.. i"ve hatched several peepers, and leave them in for 3 days.. i had someone helping me for a while and now i'm on my own, so i'm super nervous..LOL

 

[ginznchix]

Quote:
I've heard its good practice to leave them in there for 2-3 days... but thats me..some might do it different.. but i'm still fairly new too.. i"ve hatched several peepers, and leave them in for 3 days.. i had someone helping me for a while and now i'm on my own, so i'm super nervous..LOL

Wow, 3 days is a long time! He's smashing into the other eggs and pecking at the pip hole next door while the other poor guy is trying to peck out! I didn't know they were this feisty this fast!

 

[txcarl1258]

Three days is a long time. I leave mine in the bator no longer than 2 days. After day 23 if the egg has not hatched then it probably isn't going to. They can live for three days just on the yolk that they have absorbed, but it is pushing it. It being fighsty and moving around is a good sign.

 

[gryeyes]

I'm bad. I leave a single chick in the 'bator until at least one more has hatched, and both are fluffy. Then I take 'em out to give more room for the others still to hatch. That's usually overnight.... for me.... so far.... with only four hatches under my belt....

Two of my four hatches were only 3 chicks out of 7 eggs. One would hatch first, I'd leave it in overnight, and by morning (or once, when I got home from work) all three were all out and dry. The two times that 6 hatched, I did remove two chicks after 18 hours or so, to put them in the ready brooder and let the rest of them hatch out.

But yes, the feisty activity is something I believe helps "encourage" chicks still in eggs to work harder at getting out.

Oh! And congrats! Isn't it the MOST wonderful thing in the entire world?? So magical! New life from an egg not much different from those we cook and eat!!!

 

[can you hear me now?]

I leave mine in there 24 hours. That is how long before they are supposed to be fed and I like them to get started growing as soon as possible. The hatcheries say to wait 24 hours before you feed them, so that is what I do. Just hurry scoop them up.and off to the brooded. This year I bought silkies, they can do the hatching and raising.

 

[ginznchix]

OK, I'm going to BE PATIENT and leave the two as long as I can, but probably not more than 2 days. If I feel like I should take the two out after they dry I'll do it fast. I'm feeling like they're going to be the only 2 anyway. I guess everybody has their own way of doing things, and you have to make judgement calls along the way! I'm just so unsure being a first timer!

 

[ginznchix]

Quote:
Oh and yes, this is SO COOL! I'm so excited I just can't leave the bator! My back is killing me from bending over looking in! Now I want to do more!

 

[SkyWarrior]

I pulled the fuzz butts out after they dried off. And yeah, they stomp around like big foot!

 

[Mahonri]

congrats.

I've had some hatch as early as day 19 before, so I usually remove all the fluffly ones every 24 hours. QUICKLY.