Newly hatched chick panting in bator...

[Fingers crossed]

Its day 21 and 2 out of the four eggs hatched over night. Our incubator is a small table top one, temp is 101 with humidity 70. I've just noticed that the 2 chicks seem to be panting... not constantly but on and off every few seconds roughly. Should i leave them in there and turn off the bator for a little while to drop the temp slightly or should i now put them in the brooder? Or are they infact ok to be left? (they are only half fluffed at the moment)

 

[Fingers crossed]

Anyone? Please?

 

[willowcol]

If the other 2 eggs haven't hatched I would leave them in. They will be fine my pant sometimes, they just do that I think.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

MAKE sure your temperature is less than 95 degrees ON THE FLOOR of your brooder. Put a thermometer on the bottom of the brooder and be sure the chick can get away from the heat if they want to. You can provide shade for now and keep enough heat going. Just PARTIALLY block off the light source. Wait until they are pretty much fuzzy butts. Humidity is a problem for new hatches and they will pant, but you have to keep the humidity up for the unhatched eggs.
This is why you need to move them to the brooder, your humidity may be just a bit too high.

sorry, i meant to say brooder, not bator.

Also, yes normally you need to keep the lid closed until all are hatched. But, in a very high humidity, chicks do have problems, it is a noted fact. There is always that just perfect humidity that seems unattainable.

 

[Fingers crossed]

Ok, thank you

Just dont want to go and cook them or anything.

 

[Fingers crossed]

Quote:
The thing is it is a very small bator... they have no way of getting away from the heat and not enough room to provide shade...

 

[willowcol]

I have about 20 in the bator right now waiting for about 30 more to hatch, Some have been in there for over 30 hours and they are fine. You should never open the bator until you know all the eggs have hatched or it can cause the other chicks to get stuck in the shells from the humidity dropping.

 

[Fingers crossed]

Yes, i was worried about that. Ok, thank you

I shall leave them in and keep even more of an eye on them