Info needed on Hatching

[WoolyRose]

Will the blood and goo from a newly hatched chick spread by crawling around on the other eggs cause unhatched chicks to die?

 

[DemeterAD9]

Not normally, there isn’t usually a lot of blood and goo unless there is a lot of chicks hatching at the same time. I used hatch bag (mesh produce bags) my last go round to keep certain chicks identifiable and it also helped keep them from crawling all over the unhatched eggs. It helps to remove the shells shortly after hatching but that goes against the whole “never open the incubator while chicks are hatching” thing.

I don’t follow the rules though, I was opening the bator nearly every time a chick hatched to put a leg band on and to remove any who are fluffed up. I find it helps to do it like a weirdo, cover the incubator and yourself under a blanket with a head lamp to see what your doing, the temp and humidity doesn’t take a nose dive by doing it this way!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Will the blood and goo from a newly hatched chick spread by crawling around on the other eggs cause unhatched chicks to die?

Normally no, there isn't time in a normal hatch. The risk if that stuff getting on the egg can harbor bacteria which can multiply and penetrate the porous shell. If it gets inside the porous shell it can multiply and kill the chick. In a normal hatch there isn't enough time for that to happen.

To me, that is a risk of a staggered hatch. If the hatch is drug out there may be time for the bacteria to grow. That's a big reason I am not in favor of staggered hatches.