Lots of hope with hatch #2!

[wileshobbyfarm]

Today starts our second hatch! Friday was hatch day and we lost the two sweet babies that hatched. I am trying to understand what we did wrong and am trying to focus on a fresh hatch. It's a learning experience, for my three year old and myself! He is so excited to have babies to introduce to our 8 ladies. He thinks they will move into the coop as soon as they are born.

We are using a little giant still air incubator. The eggs were given to us by a local farmer that we recently bought some hens from. Any suggestions on how we can make this hatch a beautiful success would be greatly appreciated. I am trying to read forums to learn from others but am having a hard time finding time with the aforementioned three year old. Lol

Thank you in advance for your kind help!!

 

[wileshobbyfarm]

Question #1.
Is it necessary to mark where the air pocket is? What is the purpose if so? I'm not seeing much info on this (or what is it called).

 

[wileshobbyfarm]

Ok... Let me try another question. Lol.

Today is Hatch Day number two. One Chick is put and about in the bator this morning. Should I go ahead and put him in the brooder or let him wait for his siblings inside? If I take him out how at what point should I do so?

 

[annanimal]

There are lots of different approaches, some people remove the chick as soon as it has hatched, some wait till it is fluffy, some wait 24 hours and some dont open the incubator at all and leave the chick in until they have all hatched. I have never hatched chicks with an incubator, i always use a broody which in my opinion is much simpler. But i have read about this a lot, lots of different opinions and in my opinion i wouldnt open the bator until you think they have all hatched, unless the little guy is running around and knocking over the eggs, then i might remove him but still not sure. The chick can go 72 hours without food or water because we has absorbed his yolk sac. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[wileshobbyfarm]

Thank you. He is a feisty little booger so I wonder... So far he is the only one but I hear lots of pecking.

 

[annanimal]

You should probably leave him in there, you dont want to risk the humidity dropping when you open the bator and the other ones getting shrink wrapped.

 

[wileshobbyfarm]

I am afraid that is what happened to my first hatch. I'm keeping a close watch on them. He is jumping, then resting so I think he's ok in there. For now anyway!

 

[annanimal]

"In regards to opening and closing the bator to remove already hatch chicks; It is important to remember that chicks can go 3 days without food/water. It is better to wait for the remaining chicks to hatch to insure reducing the impact to unhatched pipping eggs.

But my new chick is running around in the bator knocking eggs around!
LET THEM GO! DO NOT OPEN THE INCUBATOR! They are fine!"
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

This is the guide i go by, i find it very informative and it has saved many of my chicks.
Good luck and post some pics!

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[palmerchick]

I would leave him in, of all days I hatched some chicks on the day my daughter graduated high school last Sunday. I just left them in the bator until Monday morning and they have probably been some of the healthiest I've hatched. I don't know what I was thinking, but it all worked out perfectly!

 

[wileshobbyfarm]

I'm going to use the excuse of mother's instinct, but I went ahead and relocated the first chick to the brooder. The bator was open literally a second. I hope it didn't harm the others. He was bouncing around so much I was afraid he'd harm the others or maybe himself. He is bouncing around happy as a pig in mud in the brooder. My three year old named him flapper