Saddest Little Guy

[Creteloc]

There's my incubator. I had a chick hatch early this morning. The SADDEST thing is he's going around and chirping at an egg and then he cuddles it. Breaks my heart that he's in there alone.

To the question...

Last night that one chick was chirping from his egg and the egg was moving all over the place. No other egg is moving or making noise. Today is day 21, and I realize that some eggs won't hatch until as late as day 25. However, that little guy can't stay in there with no food or water for 4 days! How/When do I get him out?

Also, the humidity is dropping. I have a hole in the top of the incubator that I was dripping in water to up the humidity, but the little bugger has moved the eggs around and now and egg is beneath the hole! How do others get humidity up this late in the game? I live in a desert and it takes a LOT of water and refills.

 

[fire370]

Reach in through the hole with a pencil or similar and slide the egg over. Then you can add water. That chick will be fine 24-48 hours in there. Sounds like he’s the first of many more to come.

 

[Abriana]

Chicks absorb the yolk and that will keep them alive for three days. On day four they need to eat and drink.

 

[Creteloc]

At what 'day' do you know no more eggs are going to hatch? I mean, on day 25 do you call it and get rid of the eggs that aren't hatched?

 

[2 many chickens]

If there are no external pips on other eggs, you can take him out once he's fluffed up. It won't hurt anything. Even if there was a pip, moving him out still wouldn't hurt anything. You can also open to move the eggs outta the way of the hole. Just add a wet sponge to bring back up lost humidity.

 

[fire370]

At what 'day' do you know no more eggs are going to hatch? I mean, on day 25 do you call it and get rid of the eggs that aren't hatched?

It appears that you are right on the money with 21 days so I wouldn’t be alarmed or even planning on waiting 25 days. Once those chicks get wound up, they’ll start popping out. Some quickly, some a little slower. Honestly, I’ve hatched so many in my life I don’t even really watch the incubators. Check in from time to time and go on about my business. I prefer to leave chicks in the incubator as I feel they are stimulating. Only take them out if it get to crowded.

It sounds like you are on the right track though.

 

[Creteloc]

On day 17, one of my girls didn't shut the incubator all the way and the temp dropped to 92 degrees. I guess I'm surprised even one made it, so I'm expecting that killed most of them.

 

[Abriana]

On day 17, one of my girls didn't shut the incubator all the way and the temp dropped to 92 degrees. I guess I'm surprised even one made it, so I'm expecting that killed most of them.

Actually, likely they are all ok. I used to have a broody banty and she was nuts, getting off of her eggs to sit on other eggs just laid that day (eventually I had to close her in during the twenty one days because I was sure that one day I'd forget to check and she would be off the eggs for a long time). They always hatched, and they were actually cold when I set her back on them. I'm sure that they are going to be just fine, some just take longer than others!

 

[fire370]

On day 17, one of my girls didn't shut the incubator all the way and the temp dropped to 92 degrees. I guess I'm surprised even one made it, so I'm expecting that killed most of them.

I wouldn’t worry about that too much. Moms get off of their eggs all the time.

 

[Chickassan]

I'd leave the chick in the bator for a while, the peeping stimulates the others to pip.