Should I move new chicks out?

[PineOaksFarm]

I am on my second hatch after I managed to totally botch-up my first one. I have 8 Delawares set that should have been due late this evening(after 9). Well I've already got 4 hatched out

and hopping all over the remaining four eggs and their shells. It's crowded in there- I've got an Incucube. My humidity is 83 and temp 100.2 right now. The fourth one hatched out over night- love that suprise in the morning. My question is would it be safe to move these four to the brooder? I don't see any pips on the other eggs yet.

 

[Kedreeva]

I personally move mine out of the incubator as soon as they hatch. You're not technically supposed to do this, I know, but my brooder is set up to do this, with an under-box heating pad that dries them off quickly. I also have staggered hatches, so I sort of have to move them so they don't get killed by the auto turner. So I would say, it most likely won't hurt them to take them out, and is probably beneficial to not have them playing kickball with the other eggs while they're trying to hatch.

PS: Grats on the hatch! Make sure you take out the shells to keep them from growing anything in your incubator.

 

[PineOaksFarm]

Thanks for the reply, I had the brooder set up already and was leaning towards taking them out. I was really worried about the remaining eggs getting knocked about. These guys are pretty much dried off, the first one is well over 24 hours old. Everytime I go near the incubator they would pop up to the window and start peeping like crazy. It's like they're telling me to take them out they want more room to play-lol.

Personally I'm happy as all get out about these guys! I'm not doomed to be a chick killer.

 

[funfeatheredfeet]

Thank God for this post!! I've been trying to get someone to help me. I'm new at this and this is my first batch to hatch. At 8:30 pm my 1st egg hatched (wasn't expecting a hatch till Sunday), but, anyway, this little chick that hatched is waddling all over the place and I have 8 other eggs pipped and more just waiting to do something. I am worried about the chick rolling the eggs all over the place. But, I know Kedreeva says to move them to the brooder, but, this guy is all alone....it's late, I'm bushed & even though this first chick is almost dry, I don't feel right to put him out by himself just yet. (Wish a couple more were ready to go with him). I'm also concerned about going to bed & having a bunch of these pipping ones hatch out in the middle of the night and cause problems moving the other eggs. (sigh....) this is stressful biz, I don't want anyone to get trampled, maimmed or killed just cause I went to sleep!! Oh, my. (Guess, I'm gonna stay up and watch for a bit....don't feel right to run out on the ones trying to hatch just yet). Funny, if I had a cot I'd set it up in the spare bathroom with the bators....haha.... could see my husbands face. hahhha Don't know if this thread really helped me, but, I'm a bit more relaxed.

Good luck and thanks for having posted this question.

 

[Mrs. Feathers]

Quote:
You and I should be sitting having a cup of tea together. You sound just like I did on our first hatch. Now five later I feel quite mellow. Well kind of...Well not really...
Don`t take him out yet...chicks love other chicks and do better with other chicks. They won`t get trampled or maimed and if one does sadly happen to die it is usually because there was soemthing going on. It is hard to watch....we had one hatching and the others rolling him all about hubby had to walk out of the room.
I am with you about the staying up thing !!!! I don`t like to miss a second when they hatch. Then when I go out of the room and come back to see a new one out of the egg and chirping out I feel disappointed that I missed it all. I think people are starting to wonder about my chicken obsession.
Glad you are feeling more relaxed ...it will all be fine.

 

[peepinator]

Oh my gosh Mrs. Feathers and tripple "F" (Fun Feathered Feet!)...My husband and my friends think I'm a freak about these eggs and my chicken obsession!!!! I'm due to go into lock down in less than three hours and I'm a bit worried about my eggs. This is my first hatch. I candled this morning and I've got 5 eggs that have quite a bit of space left in the bottoms of them and 7 others that are totally dark. I'm sure they're going to hatch at way different times. Worried about leaving chicks in too long and harming the others that aren't quite ready to hatch yet....for fear of shrink wrapping them. What a dillema.

 

[Mrs. Feathers]

Quote:
Hee hee....I am so relieved to have BYC and others who are equally obsessed (hard to believe that is possible) and don`t think I am losing it. I think my 83 year old mom is worried I have hit some sort of mid-life empty nest crisis.

Your 5 with space at the bottom could be quitters or ones that never started. We took out one that looked so obvious (could see the yolk like an unfertilized egg) and two that we really questioned (blue/green EE eggs hard to see). The two we questioned we took out at day 14 and I was certain there was growth but when hubby checked one had quit at day 5ish and the other had never started. We have one we candelled on lockdown and decided to leave in.... it sounds like yours with the space in the bottom and I am pretty sure it is another one that quit or never got going

just in case...
Yeah for your 7 though and I hope the other 5 are more promising than mine.
Can`t wait to hear about your new chicks

 

[Mrs. Feathers]

How are things going pineoaks? Any more hatched?

 

[peepinator]

Hello again Mrs. Feathers!

"Your 5 with space at the bottom could be quitters or ones that never started. We took out one that looked so obvious (could see the yolk like an unfertilized egg) and two that we really questioned (blue/green EE eggs hard to see)."

All of them have movement like crazy in them, totally alive

I just want them all to hatch, but am sure they're gonna be way later than the other 7. All 12 of the eggs I set have developed beautifully, couldn't believe all of them did so well, but the 5 are a bit behind the others.

We're not nuts...really, this is just exciting and I have some of my facebook friend that are just as excited about this as I am since I've been posting all my pics and stuff. I do have an empty nest (I'm 45 with two grown girls) though and just love animals...'specially babies. I've been wanting chickens for awhile now...grew up with them and have always had them but I've been in college the past 5 years and didn't have time to have any...so since I've graduated, I now have a vegetable garden again and will have some chickens for eggs and entertainment. I just love having them and have missed it so much. We hatched eggs when we were kids, but I don't remember it being this exciting! Probably because I wasn't this involved in the process. I just can't wait to see them hatch

I'll keep you posted!!! I, too....love this forum and that there are others who share in "love for chickens" and the excitement of hatching babies...thanks for your support

 

[Kedreeva]

The first chick that hatches is never alone here