Newbie question about chicks in the incubator. Help!

[DerbyChook]

Two of the four eggs hatched perfectly on time. The chicks are still in the incubator, but they are so active they are knocking the unhatched eggs all over the place! I know you are supposed to leave the chicks in the incubator for a bit to let them fluff out and acclimate. I also know that you are not supposed to move the eggs during the last few days of incubation to let the chick move into position for hatching. But the chicks are moving the eggs all over the place! Help! What should I do? I was planning to give the slower eggs a day or two to see if they are viable, but am worried that the movement will kill them even if they are ok.

I have the incubator set up like the directions say. This is a small model with no auto turner, so you just set the eggs on the flat surface. I put down some paper towel to make the surface less slippery, but don't have anyway to keep the egg in position when it is being assaulted by a rambunctious chick!

 

[Shannon33]

I am new too, my first hatch just finished today in fact. I had all but 2 hatch really close together. The last 2 started about 9 hours later. It looked like a rugby match in there, those eggs were getting kicked around so much! I was scared but I didn't want to open the incubator. Anyway, they came out fine, even among all that tossing. Not sure if there is anything you can do, someone will probably know, but just wanted to let you know mine came out fine after going through the same thing.

 

[DerbyChook]

Quote:
OK, good to know. I cracked it open and moved the unhatched eggs back to the correct position. The incubator retains most of its heat and humidity, even when you take the lid off, so I figured it would be ok. I am going to pull the chicks out tomorrow morning and put them in the brooder. Just wondering if there was something different I should have done.....

 

[ive got chicken fever]

Wow, I was going to ask the same question! I have 8 in the 'bator right now. One started hatching last night around 11 and was out by 3 this afternoon. I got another hatching right now and the first is pecking around the egg-looks like he's trying to help the other one out. lol. Anyway, he has been knocking into all the other eggs rolling them around and I am worried about them too. They don't show any signs of hatching yet.

I am hoping they make it!

The first out was my own Spangled OEG Bantam and the others are Sumatra I ordered from e-bay. Hoping for the best!

 

[puredelite]

No need to stress, the un-hatched ones will zip out anyway( at least mine seem to!) Some chicks are always a little stronger than others and don't waste a bit of time to escape the cramped space of the egg. Others are maybe a little weaker and have to rest occasionally. I lift the lid of the incubator only enough to remove the dry chicks and try not to lose the warm, humid air trapped in the lid. Give the remaining eggs at least to the 23 rd day and then test them in enough warm water to check for any movement- then discard. Hang in there!

 

[ive got chicken fever]

Quote:
When you say check them in warm water - can you give more details about how to do this? Thanks!

 

[puredelite]

Assuming that there are no pip holes in the shell, put some warm tap water( don't want to chill the egg) in a bowl or whatever and wait 'til the water is calm and float the egg in the water . If there is a live chick inside then it will quickly start moving around and making waves. If the egg just floats with no discernable movement then chances are it is not going to hatch.

 

[gryeyes]

Derby, I couldn't handle it when the hatched chicks were kicking around the other eggs, AND the incubator was filling up with live chicks, so I took TWO out as soon as they were dry. I didn't leave them in the 'bator for 24 hours as some suggested.

However, I only did it for ROOM; somebody else told me "it helps" for the unhatched eggs to hear the cheeping hatched chicks.... sort of urges them on with the "get out of that egg" process.

Whether that's true or not, it seems reasonable enough to me to leave chicks in the 'bator if there's room for 'em. You and I have SMALL incubators... once those chicks unfold from the eggs and get dried out and fluffy and moving around, they take up a lot of space in there!

 

[DerbyChook]

gryeyes, I left them in overnight. They hatched in the evening. I wanted to be able to keep an eye on them in the brooder, make sure they were adapting well. But if it hadn't been so late, I would have pulled them out as soon as they were dry. I still have two eggs in the bator, The shells were too dark to candle well, so I have no idea if they are even any good or not. So far no movement or sound that I can detect

Oh well, the two I got are so, so adorable, and the kids and I got to watch the second hatch, so that was wonderful. All in all, a fun experience.