Question regarding moving chick or chick's to brooder.

[Chicky-Delight]

Hello! I have a question regarding my chick. The way I was taught was just the natural way with a broody hen and letting it handle everything. This is my first time using an incubator to hatch eggs so I'm just sort of confuse and at the same time conflicted as I'm not sure what to do as I don't want to harm any eggs that are currently pipping.

My first batch of 12 eggs( 6 ayam cemani/6 Svart Hona), I had 1 ayam cemani hatch on day 19 which was 2 days ago. I obviously left it in the incubator so it can dry and fluff up due to the standard lockdown rules. Well comes day 20 and I had 1 of my Svart Hona pip and hatch, the ayam cemani chick is now dry and fluffy at this point. So of course following lockdown rules, I do the same thing. Day 21 today comes over and now most if not all the eggs are now pipping slowly.

My question being is when is a good time to open the lid and transfering the early chick ayam cemani to the brooder box? I'm reading online that a new chick should have enough nutrients to sustain itself for about 24-72 hours. I just don't want to push my luck as I'm noticing that the little Cemani Fluffball is starting to cry more while pecking/eating the small piece of eggshell and what looks like the egg membrane from it's other siblings that hatched.

My concern is that I don't want to transfer the fluffball and end up risking the 6 other eggs that have already started pipping. At the same time I don't want the little fluffball to starve or risk dehydration or anything.

Just trying to see if I'm just worrying too much or if there's anything I can do to help. Thanks for listening and answering! I appreciate it!

 

[-Shade-]

I usually move the chicks out of the incubator as soon as they are dry, although I often leave them in for at least a day or less. It all depends on your incubator. Do you have a lid that can be opened and closed in less than 2 seconds, and doesn't let much air in or out in doing so? You could try soaking a rag in water and ringing it out super well until it is no longer dripping and drop it in the incubator while you grab the chick to make up for lost humidity. I usually worry about other eggs being rolled around by the newly hatched and dying (but that is mostly from a traumatizing mostly failed turkey hatch). Do you have one or more extra thermometers/hydrometers to give you an accurate reading of the humidity/temperature?

 

[Sussex19]

I would (and have been told it is fine by others more experienced then me) just grab the chicks out as soon as they are fluffed up.
Be quick but gentle, and I don't think there will be any harm to the piping eggs.
The first chick will be needing food and water anytime now, so I wouldn't wait to much longer.

 

[Chicky-Delight]

I usually move the chicks out of the incubator as soon as they are dry, although I often leave them in for at least a day or less. It all depends on your incubator. Do you have a lid that can be opened and closed in less than 2 seconds, and doesn't let much air in or out in doing so? You could try soaking a rag in water and ringing it out super well until it is no longer dripping and drop it in the incubator while you grab the chick to make up for lost humidity. I usually worry about other eggs being rolled around by the newly hatched and dying (but that is mostly from a traumatizing mostly failed turkey hatch). Do you have one or more extra thermometers/hydrometers to give you an accurate reading of the humidity/temperature?

That was my plan. I was more or so blindsided with the first egg hatching 2 days early and with the other eggs starting to pip. I just didn't want to risk the membrane shrinking on the other chicks. It sort of started a domino effect and now each egg is pipping and hatching one after another but not fast enough to where i feel i can comfortably remove the chicks without risking the other eggs. Unfortunately my incubator can't do that. I'm currently using the kebonnix 12 egg incubator for my first batch and to move the chicks or eggs requires me to lift up the whole lid off. Which would drop the humidity and temperature levels dramatically. With the chicks drying up and moving around, the egg rolling is starting to concern me too as the kebonnix 12 isn't a big incubator at all.

 

[Chicky-Delight]

I would (and have been told it is fine by others more experienced then me) just grab the chicks out as soon as they are fluffed up.
Be quick but gentle, and I don't think there will be any harm to the piping eggs.
The first chick will be needing food and water anytime now, so I wouldn't wait to much longer.

Thank you for the reply. Do you think I should take the other newly hatch chicks out too? I have about 4 that are probably half dry/half wet still. Not sure if opening the lid is going to affect them too.

 

[Sussex19]

Thank you for the reply. Do you think I should take the other newly hatch chicks out too? I have about 4 that are probably half dry/half wet still. Not sure if opening the lid is going to affect them too.

If you have a very nice and cosy brooder, then go ahead and take them out.
If you have any doubts as to whether they will be warm enough as they dry out, then I would leave them in for now.

 

[SilkieFamily]

Thank you for the reply. Do you think I should take the other newly hatch chicks out too? I have about 4 that are probably half dry/half wet still. Not sure if opening the lid is going to affect them too.

The hatched chicks can be moved as long as they are sitting on both feet consistently. My Silkies cause a ruckus in the incubator so the moment I notice they are capable to stand or sit upright they go to the brooder in a paper towel floored basket to see their siblings and dry out the rest of the way. Leaving them in a moving incubator can be dangerous for a chick, so quickly move them and the other eggs will be fine. We had 13 of 20 hatch and 2 losses this season so far. I kept a broody momma in the box to welcome the chick's

 

[mcdze]

theres more risk imo, letting chicks stay in a small bator and kick the other eggs around .. i move them to the brooder as soon as they hatch, soon as theyre out, toss the spent shell while im at it ... especially in a forced air bator it gets them COLD and they cry nonstop .. put them under a brooder light and they fall right to sleep and dry off .. of course you want to be quick about it, wham bam grab the chick and the shell and get the lid back on the bator pronto till you hear the next hatcher screaming coz its freezing in that blowing air of the bator ..

 

[junior67]

probably late but I have found the perfect time to move chicks from the incubator if others have pipped is right after one hatches. Humidity is normally very high then anyways and will shoot right back up from the wet chick after you remove the chicks and close it.

 

[Chicky-Delight]

probably late but I have found the perfect time to move chicks from the incubator if others have pipped is right after one hatches. Humidity is normally very high then anyways and will shoot right back up from the wet chick after you remove the chicks and close it.

Thank you! That's actually exactly what I did! I had 10 out of the 12 eggs i had set up hatch(4 ayam cemano and 6 Svart Hona. The other 2 Cemani eggs looks like they made it to day 21 but just never hatched. I honestly think the first chick rolling all the eggs around and smacking them together might have played a big role in it.