pips and zips have started, need help

[nittanyxi]

It's day 20 and two chicks have already hatched and two more have pips. I know I'm not supposed to open the incubator and believe me, I don't want to. I'm worried about the chicks that have already hatch staying in there overnight because of temp fluxuations. Ever since I went into lockdown and opened the incubator to candle one last time it has been a nightmare regulating the temp again. I've had fluxuations for no good reason. I've had the thermostat light stay on and the temp go down. (hovabator 1602, I would never recomend it) Anyway, I didn't worry so much when they chicks were in the eggs if I had a temp spike. Like up to 103 or 104. I suspect not for long but I'm really not sure. Anyhow, short story long here are my questions:

#1 How high a temp can the chicks take now that they are hatched?

#2 If I take the chicks out how disruptive will it be to carry the incubator upstairs to the bathroom for steam.
(eggs are just laying on the bottom and will roll around. The water from the wells will splash around as well)

#3 Should I take the chicks out and put them in the brooder or just wait till the hatch is over and hope there are no temp spikes?

#4 there were 4 of my silkie bantam eggs moving last night (wed) but no pips yet. Is that a bad sign? I'm worried their shells are
to thick for them to crack. I've heard they often hatch earlier and tomorrow is day 21.

I think that's it. I was so planning on drinking wine and just waking up to chicks. curses to the hovabator 1602.

 

[karen71]

I think that the best thing to do

They can apparently live on the yolk 3 days (72 hours) .

Happy hatching !!!!
I'm waiting for mine to start

 

[nittanyxi]

I'm not worried about them getting food or water. I was planning on letting them stay in the incubator for 3 days until the hatch was over. I'm worried about a temp spike killing them over the night now that they are out of the shell. I don't know how resilient the chicks are to a temp spike once they are out of the shell.

 

[karen71]

I'm so sorry I skipped around - only read parts of it - silly me


I can't answer that - I would guess they can take some heat for short periods of time just not long periods
maybe someone with some experience in this can help .

 

[nittanyxi]

anyone?

 

[FenDruadin]

You may be having trouble with the temperature because of the increase in thermal mass in the bator: i.e., the water you added to bring the humidity up. ESPECIALLY if the water was a different temp from the incubator (i.e., not 99.5 degrees--and who measures the temp of their water before putting it in anyway?). I have noticed the same phenomenon, and I think it has to do with the thermostat working hard to get the incubator temp up, but the water is fighting it the other direction (if it's cooler than 100 degrees), and it's just a struggle. However--please check the position of your thermometer before jumping to any conclusions. I once couldn't figure out why my incubator wouldn't get above 97 degrees, and finally realized the temp probe was resting on a wet washcloth... Luckily I discovered it in time to prevent seriously over-heating the incubator. Anyway--once the water and the air are the same temp, you should notice the temp stabilizes again.

103 degrees will not kill a chick for short periods. Think about it--chickens hatch out in hot, dry climates at temps even above that. Granted, it's not ideal, but I wouldn't worry too much. Just try not to let it stay that way for long.

I do think that carrying the incubator around at this point is a very bad idea. Chicks that are internally pipped can end up mal-positioned, and they might bump and damage one another, and all the sloshing... just doesn't sound good.

BUT, I also wouldn't leave the little guys in there for three days. It's really okay to open the bator once or twice a day to take babies out and make whatever adjustments are necessary. When I need to open the bator, I generally make sure to raise the humidity *inside* the incubator as high as I can get it about five to ten minutes before opening. Then I reach inside, do what I need to do quickly but carefully (don't get in a huge hurry or you'll make mistakes). Replace the lid, check the humidity. Usually it still looks pretty good.

Don't want to do that often, but a couple times a day is unlikely to harm much. I have found that ducklings left in the incubator for more than half a day can cause as many problems as humidity fluctuations do. So I take them out as soon as there are four or five hatched and dry, which comes out to about every 12 hours or so, usually. Sometimes I have to open more than that, if a duckling gets stuck behind a carton or the like.

I don't know much about silkies, but I wouldn't worry yet. Okay, I *would* worry, but that's only because I worry through every single hatch. But most of the time the worrying is for nothing and everything goes great. They will begin moving around and "talking" well before they pip.

Good luck with the hatch! Sounds like it's off to a good start. Don't fret too much but given your incubator issues, I would set an alarm and get up every couple hours to make sure you're not cooking the babies. Enjoy!

 

[nittanyxi]

thanks, there are a few more piped so I really don't want to open the incubator right now to get the hatched ones out. I think I'll catch up on my DVR recording and just keep checking the temps between shows. I don't have to work tomorrow so I can nap when I want.

the temp problem with my incubator is because of my incubator. I think maybe the wafer is bad. When ever I add water I always put in hot water. If anything the water is hotter than the temp in the incubator and should help heat it up. I just have a crappy 1602 hovabator.

 

[FenDruadin]

Sounds like a good plan.

Sorry about your incubator. Although, and I can't possibly explain it, but I have trouble with the temp fluctuations after adding water even when it's hot (which it *almost* always is--but every once in a while one of us "oops"es and puts in cooler water). I also have trouble with temp fluctuations after lockdown in over and I've put the rest of the eggs back in the turner (I run staggered hatches). I really don't understand it, but I've stopped fussing over it and just keep an eye for the first several hours until things settle out.

Congrats on more pips! You're probably right not to mess with it for now. Good luck and have fun!

Heather

 

[nittanyxi]

Well, I didn't have any temp spikes or open the incubator and everything worked out ok. 7 hatched chicks and 4 more pips. I'm going to take the chicks out as soon as there are no more open pips.

 

[FenDruadin]

Congrats!!