Incubation Day 19

[kemcconnell]

Ok. So I have 18 eggs in my incubator. I already took them out of the turner and they're on lockdown! About 8 of them are chirping and pecking away at the shells! I have a few questions...
1. How long does it general take one chick to completely hatch?
2. How long after they hatch do I remove them from the incubator?
3. Is there anything that I need to do at this point that is extremely critical to my babies all surviving?!

This is my first hatch and I am SO EXCITED! I want everything to go perfectly! Any advice is GREATLY appreciated!

 

[WalnutHill]

First off, make sure you have a cozy chair, a cup of your favorite beverage, and a good book handy. A camera, too, if you like.

Your chicks will hatch from pip to out of the shell in anywhere from an hour to 24 hours, usually. The chatter is good, it encourages them to come out together. I call it the popcorn effect, when a hatch is going good I will have several chicks popping out at about the same time.

It's safe to leave them in the hatcher for a full 24 hours or more. The chicks carry the absorbed yolk in their abdomen, which will sustain them for up to 3 days depending on temperature in the hatcher.

While not all chicks hatch successfully on their own, I've found that those who need assistance generally aren't the most robust chicks. I had to cull one yesterday which had an umbilical hernia (not all abdominal organs were completely inside at hatch), and it didn't have the strength in its legs to push itself out of the shell after an extended period of time. It was by far the smallest chick after 5 days and was getting weaker. But another, who was so sticky that he could not get the shell off, is recovering now though he is also much smaller than the others. Please don't set your expectations for 100% success. Hatching any chicks at all on your first try is better than many!

The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to let all the chicks hatch that hatch without trouble. Leave them in to rest up and fluff up while your brooder is getting up to temperature. Then read the assisted hatching article and decide if you want to intercede with the others.

 

[kemcconnell]

 

[WalnutHill]

One so far! Are others on the way?

 

[kemcconnell]

Yep! Up to five and 4 more are coming!

 

[kemcconnell]

13 have hatched! 6 more to go!