Should all viable eggs hatch within a set period of time?

[CDennis]

Day 20, 7 chicks hatched, 2 more pipped, 14 have done nothing. They were all set on the same day should they all hatching within a given period of time say 24 hours? I am just trying to decide if I should be pulling all the chicks that hatched today out tomorrow or leaving them with the expectation that siblings will be here shortly.

 

[justbugged]

Some may still hatch. The chicks that have already hatched can stay in the bator for up to 3 days. Then they will have to have water and food. I would give the unhatched eggs a bit more time just to see what happens. I also listen for any chick that could be chirping that is still in the egg. don't go more than a week though, because it could get

 

[CDennis]

Thanks, should I leave the newly hatched in the incubator for a full 3 days or is it better to pull them and put them in a brooder? I don't mind waiting 3 days but I want to do the best thing for all the chicks.

 

[Gypsy07]

It's best not to open the bator in the middle of a hatch, but if you have a bunch of chicks fully fluffed up and bumbling around the bator and a bunch of eggs that haven't even pipped yet, I'd say get in there quick before anybody else pips and get those chicks into the brooder. A drop in humidity will quickly dry out any exposed membrane, but it's far less risky for eggs with their shells still intact.

People on here have hatched eggs up to day 25 or 26. It's not common, but it does happen. Setting them all at the same time doesn't mean they will all hatch at the same time. Other variables would include different breeds, different hens within the one flock, different lengths of storage time before setting the eggs. Even cool spots in your incubator. I read a post the other day where someone had noticed after a few hatches that eggs that had been in one specific corner of their bator never hatched.

What you really DON'T want is to wait a day and then have everybody else start to hatch. They could be verynslow at getting out of their shells and then you'd be looking at having to go in and get the first chicks out and opening the bator door when you've got a whole load of exposed membranes at risk of drying out quickly.

Baby chicks absorb the last of their yolk sac immediately before hatching and this is enough nutrition to keep them going for a day or so before they need food and water. They can survive 72 hrs+ but that doesn't mean that that is an ideal amount of time to leave them for...

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