this contains nothing you guys don't already know probably, but i found this a really helpful reminder of what is going on with the chick both inside the egg and after it is just hatched, and why you should leave it be -
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The chicken needs to do a complete roll inside the egg while its pipping away. As usual nature has a reason for this and its because the chicken ties off its blood vessel connections to the membranes.
Its also one of the reasons for the high humidity at hatching. The membrane needs to be moist and slimy so the chicken can rotate. Opening the incubator and handling the egg lets the membranes dry out.
The chicken needs frequent rests to regain energy to continue. Its a big task for a chicken which is really only sucking air and using its muscles for the first time.
Once it has pipped all the way round the pressure of its head and body will make the end of the shell fall away and its head will fall out. It will have another small rest and with a kick of its legs it will push itself out of the egg.
Then it will chirp loudly - again there is a reason - it will be oxygenating its body and developing its muscle tone and enough strengh to stand up. It will continue to chirp and may flop around a bit but it gradually develops the tone to stand up. At the same time it is drying off and fluffing up.
It may or may not still have some yolk sac hanging off it. In the next 24 hours it will absorb the remainder and become quite a mobile little chicken.
All of the above are the reasons you leave the incubator closed and let the chicken just do its thing. Some dont make it out (even in nature) and nature is tough that way but the end result is strong healthy chickens.
After 24 hours you can take them out and introduce them to feed and water. They dont need anything before that though. Just the time to to do the things I have mentioned.
*****
The chicken needs to do a complete roll inside the egg while its pipping away. As usual nature has a reason for this and its because the chicken ties off its blood vessel connections to the membranes.
Its also one of the reasons for the high humidity at hatching. The membrane needs to be moist and slimy so the chicken can rotate. Opening the incubator and handling the egg lets the membranes dry out.
The chicken needs frequent rests to regain energy to continue. Its a big task for a chicken which is really only sucking air and using its muscles for the first time.
Once it has pipped all the way round the pressure of its head and body will make the end of the shell fall away and its head will fall out. It will have another small rest and with a kick of its legs it will push itself out of the egg.
Then it will chirp loudly - again there is a reason - it will be oxygenating its body and developing its muscle tone and enough strengh to stand up. It will continue to chirp and may flop around a bit but it gradually develops the tone to stand up. At the same time it is drying off and fluffing up.
It may or may not still have some yolk sac hanging off it. In the next 24 hours it will absorb the remainder and become quite a mobile little chicken.
All of the above are the reasons you leave the incubator closed and let the chicken just do its thing. Some dont make it out (even in nature) and nature is tough that way but the end result is strong healthy chickens.
After 24 hours you can take them out and introduce them to feed and water. They dont need anything before that though. Just the time to to do the things I have mentioned.
