It's like a roller derby in there! Some advice please?

[ChickenHawk12]

Today was day 21 (at 8 this morning), and 1 of my 6 had pipped by 8 am. I left for the store and was gone a half an hour, and when I got back the chick had hatched! It hatched around 4 pm, and has been walking around (or trying to) all over, rolling the other eggs all around.

Also, I'm using a borrowed Little Giant incubator, and the plastic film with the heating wire that I have been keeping on top of the eggs keeps getting knocked off of them. I found (because I have 2 of my own thermometers in there, 1 on top of the eggs) that when the plastic film is laying on the floor of the incubator, I guess it is cooler down there so the thermostat kicks on more, and then the temp at the top of the eggs gets too hot.

I'm so nervous, this is my first hatch (well, first successful one, the first one was 5 duds). Should I leave the film on the floor of the incubator and lower the thermostat? The chick keeps knocking down my thermometers too, so unless I keep opening the incubator and unless I stay up all night, I'm having a hard time measuring the temp at the top of the eggs.

Also, is it a problem that the chick keeps rolling into the other eggs and rolling them around? This afternoon I saw that another one was pipped, but I think the hole is now facing down due to the rolling. Is that a problem?

 

[red horse ranch]

I hope you have 6 babies by now!

I just wanted to say that as long as the temperature doesn't spike too much one way or another your eggs should still hatch. So don't worry about keeping the thermometer at the top of the eggs. But keep in mind that even under perfect conditions, not all babies will survive the hatching process. So don't blame yourself if all 6 don't make it out.

As for rolling the eggs around, this may affect the hatch a little but it usually doesn't. If the baby is strong enough to hatch it will make it out regardless of position. Let us know how it turns out.