Lockdown question???

[jwatts]

I am new to incubating and I have a question regarding the lockdown procedure. On the last three days of lockdown do I just leave those who hatched and wait for the others or do I remove them as soon as they hatch? I hear people saying don't open the incu they will get shrink wrapped. Can someone enlighten me on this matter? Thank you

 

[bobbi-j]

They can stay in the incubator for awhile after they hatch. I've been guilty of opening it too often to take them out in the past, and then the later ones don't have a chance to hatch. What happens is, every time you open the incubator you let out valuable humidity and then the membrane of those who are still in the hatching process gets dried out and sticks to the chick. This prevents the chick from being able to work its way out of the egg. I've left chicks in the incubator for several hours. Some will leave them for up to 24 hours. I think alot depends on the type of incubator you have. Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes! (Mine aren't due to hatch until next weekend, but all the pictures and posts on chicks hatching makes me impatient - I wish it was this week!)

 

[jwatts]

Ok so I should prob leave everything go for about 24 hrs. What about when you have to turn eggs throughout the 18 days. I assume every time you open the lid to turn them the temp will drop. Will this bother them?

 

[bobbi-j]

Yes it does drop every time you open the lid, but unless you have LOTS of eggs to turn, it won't be open long enough for the internal egg temperature to drop - or if it does, not enough to cause any harm. After all, when a hen is sitting on a nest, she'll get up once a day to eat, and drink, leaving the eggs uncovered. Those eggs cool down some, too, but hatch just fine.

 

[mossypath]

It’s not the temp you are worried about it is the moisture in the air surrounding the eggs.
When you lose humidity in the air surrounding the eggs by opening the incubator the air will pull the moisture from the eggs causing the membrane around the chick to shrink and trap the chick.
When you have to open the incubator I will spray warm water in the air of the incubator to keep the baby’s from drying out. Some people here will steam up there bathroom before opening to keep the air from loosing humidity.

 

[Tracy the chick]

Opening the incubater to turn eggs on day 18 wont hurt them as long as none of them have pipped. Soon as you see a pip try not to open the bater. You can leave the babys in for 24 hours after that take them out really quick. Hopefully the baby will roll the other eggs around which usually helps them to hatch . My SLW is sat on 2 eggs, 1 egg had pipped today and she was sat off the nest eating! I noticed a few hours later a little baby poking out from underneath her so dont fret to much. Try to think what mother hen would do. Good luck. X