NEW QUESTION ... Maybe-silly question about humidty during hatch

[briesberrypatch]

I have my first hatch ever in progress, and I have two questions that may seem silly to experienced hatchers.

With all the eggs hatching, humidity is staying around 79%-80%. Will this affect the other eggs that haven't hatched yet? Am I supposed to do anything to lower the humidity?

Another question. I've read not to open the incubator for any reason until the hatch is over. But I've also read that some people take out the chicks individually as they fluff up and put them in the brooder. Is one way the "right" way, or are both okay?

Thanks!

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Humidity spikes are normal. Do not open the incubator till they all hatch or 3 days after the first one hatched.

 

[HBuehler]

The humidity will spike some during hatching.As you get more experience you will find right where you need to start to make sure it doesn't spike too much.
We do open the incubator and remove the chicks-have never lost one by doing it.It must be well timed and quick.Always wait to make sure nothing is hatching reasonably soon...move the chicks to a part of the bator where there are no unhatched eggs and mist the bator not the eggs as your removing-all done in a matter of seconds so help is good-someone misting while you grab thru a tiny hole never pop the top wide.Chicks can go 3 days without food but it does stress them out more.
The humidity outside of the bator also plays a factor in the success of opening...a real dry room will effect the bator much more than a more humid environment where your closer to the internal humidity.Last weekend we had bone dry air had problems even getting my bator to 70% I didn't open to remove any chicks-a rare problem here this year.If I were to hatch today it wouldn't take much to send it way too high..no water added for days and running at 55% inside the bator but 63% humidity in the room it sits in-yeah storms are a coming power will go out generator will go on

Don't forget about enough oxygen lack of will cause more to not hatch than humidity they need as much air as they can get.

 

[briesberrypatch]

Thank you for the replies.

A total of fifteen chicks hatched by the time I woke up this morning, leaving five eggs. A straggler hatched about two hours ago, and the older chicks were pecking it non-stop, so I moved the older 15 out to the brooder and left the straggler and remaining eggs in the incubator.

The straggler is starting to gain strength and it looks like it might actually survive. Will I be able to add it to the brooder eventually, or will the older chicks continue to peck the younger one?

 

[kathyinmo]

Oh, great hatch.

Do you have pictures?

With the straggler ... I would not leave it alone. Put 2 or 3 or 4 in with it, and see how they do. Then after a couple days, try putting them all together, and see how they do. That way, there is not only one "newbie," to pick on.

Congrats!

 

[roostercruiser]

I just think as if they were outside under the hen. I have not had any problems hatching. A temp drop doesn't affect them as much as people think. It would be no different than then hen getting up to go get food and water. A hen can't control the outside humidity so as long as you are keeping water in then you should have no problems. When the first chicks hatch I wait till the next day before I remove any. I will put chicks in together that are up to 4 days apart in age.