Opening incubator to remove a baby

[Erin80]

We had an orpington pop out early, and the other eggs have just pipped and are in the “rest” period before zipping. The early bird is dry and fluffed as he’s been hatched since sometime in the night last night.
I have a brooder with day old silkies, which is where the babies in the eggs currently hatching will be going also. How bad would it be to open it quick, get him out and close it?? It’s a little giant with a fan. I feel like he’d be happier with other babies at this point! I also don’t want to risk shrink wrapping anyone, though in the past when I’ve quickly grabbed a chick out, my humidity didn’t move by more than a degree and neither did the temperature. What would you do? These babies likely won’t batch until the early hours of tomorrow morning. A few haven’t even externally pipped yet.

 

[Dinoroar]

We had an orpington pop out early, and the other eggs have just pipped and are in the “rest” period before zipping. The early bird is dry and fluffed as he’s been hatched since sometime in the night last night.
I have a brooder with day old silkies, which is where the babies in the eggs currently hatching will be going also. How bad would it be to open it quick, get him out and close it?? It’s a little giant with a fan. I feel like he’d be happier with other babies at this point! I also don’t want to risk shrink wrapping anyone, though in the past when I’ve quickly grabbed a chick out, my humidity didn’t move by more than a degree and neither did the temperature. What would you do? These babies likely won’t batch until the early hours of tomorrow morning. A few haven’t even externally pipped yet.

Personally I’d grab him if I knew my incubator well enough to have a good feel for how it would effect humidity.

You could always spritz the air a bit before you open to get the ambient humidity up if you want to minimize the fluctuation. You could also hang a warm damp wash cloth over the edge where the seal and reach your hand under that.

 

[DucksAreBest]

I'd grab him. They won't shrink wrap since shrink wrapping happens over a long period of time.

 

[Erin80]

I grabbed him!!
He is waaaaay happier with some buddies in the brooder now. No more chirping. Quiet and content.

 

[Dinoroar]

Yay! Good luck with the rest of your hatch!

 

[Erin80]

4 more hatched overnight, so looks like grabbing that little dude didn’t destroy the rest of my hatch! Five more to go, one is pipped and one is zipping. Three have no sign of anything so might candle those tonight which would be end of day 21.