Opened incubator during hatching. Did I risk the entire hatch?

[N0rthernChicks]

Long story short: there is a platform in my incubator with the fan underneeath. Eggs stay on top of the platform. Somehow one chick finagled it’s way under the platform and put itself in danger of getting injured by the fan. I quickly threw some moist paper towel in the incubator while I hastily unscrewed the platform to get my hand in there and grabbed the trapped chick. There are 40 other eggs and most have pipped and a couple actively hatching. Have I risked my entire remaining hatch?

 

[MGG]

Long story short: there is a platform in my incubator with the fan underneeath. Eggs stay on top of the platform. Somehow one chick finagled it’s way under the platform and put itself in danger of getting injured by the fan. I quickly threw some moist paper towel in the incubator while I hastily unscrewed the platform to get my hand in there and grabbed the trapped chick. There are 40 other eggs and most have pipped and a couple actively hatching. Have I risked my entire remaining hatch?

I would just mist the eggs with some warm water. They should be fine. I open the incubator quite a bit during hatch, I always remove chicks as soon as they're dry. I just mist the eggs and they are always fine. I've never had any shrink wrapped chicks.

 

[N0rthernChicks]

I would just mist the eggs with some warm water. They should be fine. I open the incubator quite a bit during hatch, I always remove chicks as soon as they're dry. I just mist the eggs and they are always fine. I've never had any shrink wrapped chicks.

That makes me fill better. Humidity bounced back to 75% very quickly. Just scared me half to death when the little think was panicking under there and peeping at the top of its lungs

 

[Shu Shu]

Phew! So happy nothing bad happened! Mine are hatching right now too, first hatch. Nerve wracking, my husband thinks I am nuts! Happy hatching!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yeah, relax. You did what you needed to. I would have done the same.

It is possible to shrink-wrap a chick, I've done it. But it doesn't happen that often. I've had to open the incubator a few times to take care of an issue inside, often after eggs have pipped. They almost never shrink wrap. It really is rare and you probably did no harm to them.

Since I know it can happen I consider it best practice to not casually open the incubator after lockdown. But If I have a reason that's worth the risk to me I will. We don't live in a perfect world, we just have to do the best we can. I think you did.

 

[N0rthernChicks]

Update: a few more did hatch normally afterwards so it looks like I didn’t do too much harm. Still waiting on a bunch more. Today is actually only day 20. So hopefully we get many more over the next couple days.

 

[MGG]

Update: a few more did hatch normally afterwards so it looks like I didn’t do too much harm. Still waiting on a bunch more. Today is actually only day 20. So hopefully we get many more over the next couple days.

Aw, congrats on your cuties!