Should I move to brooder?

[atomic]

Hello all, I have another thread but I have to go to work soon and really need an answer. I’ve had one duckling hatch, but it is still wet and is struggling to stand. The incubator has a slick floor which isn’t helping. It keeps knocking into the other eggs as well. Should I move it into the brooder before I leave for work? It hatched several hours ago.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hello all, I have another thread but I have to go to work soon and really need an answer. I’ve had one duckling hatch, but it is still wet and is struggling to stand. The incubator has a slick floor which isn’t helping. It keeps knocking into the other eggs as well. Should I move it into the brooder before I leave for work? It hatched several hours ago.

No. I'd leave it in there. It's normal for the hatched ones to bumble around in the incubator and it doesn't hurt the unhatched ones.

We use rubber shelf lining in the bottom of our incubator, so next time maybe consider getting some if yours is slick, for the next time you incubate.

I'd wait until the rest have hatched. He'll do best to stay in there.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree, leave it where it is. It is better off.

I use 1/4" hardware cloth on my incubator floor to give the chicks something to help keep them stable. If you can get it to lay flat window screen mesh works well also.

 

[Susan Skylark]

Shelf liner is the best! I also like moving babies out of the incubator when they reach the bumbling stage, but then I have quail and my humidity hovers around 80% so they never dry. I also don’t like leaving neonates of any species in the ‘calving’ pen for very long, kick those lambs and calves out on grass or chicks to a clean brooder instead of a moist, warm small area contaminated with fecal material and birth/hatching fluids. Even for pathogens the solution to pollution is dilution!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Shelf liner is the best!

I know this is just opinion but I do not want to restrict airflow. So this might depend on which incubator you have. They are set up differently.

 

[C Siena]

No. I'd leave it in there. It's normal for the hatched ones to bumble around in the incubator and it doesn't hurt the unhatched ones.

We use rubber shelf lining in the bottom of our incubator, so next time maybe consider getting some if yours is slick, for the next time you incubate.

I'd wait until the rest have hatched. He'll do best to stay in there.

I did not candle all the eggs on my last candle at 16.5 days. I'm sure there are a few that I think were done earlier but they didn't smell, so I left them. 8 have hatched, 2 should be out soon and 5 others have ext pips since early afternoon. The RH is rather steady at 75, I removed the shells. The 2 that hatched at 2:30pm are not "fluffy" and don't look totally dry. Should I leave all the chicks in the incubator until 24 hours? or the late morning?
The NR360 holds 22 eggs and I filled it. A couple of the eggs are large, 92 -95g. Will it be too crowded if (prayerfully)the other 7 hatch? Thank you.

 

[atomic]

I ended up removing mine and did so for the rest as they hatched. It was too humid inside the incubator and they were not drying off, or have the room to stand. I also didn’t have any shelf liner so it was slippery for them to stand. This worked out for me but it was my first time, I am by no means experienced but I made an executive decision in the moment and it turned out just fine.

 

[C Siena]

I ended up removing mine and did so for the rest as they hatched. It was too humid inside the incubator and they were not drying off, or have the room to stand. I also didn’t have any shelf liner so it was slippery for them to stand. This worked out for me but it was my first time, I am by no means experienced but I made an executive decision in the moment and it turned out just fine.

Thank you. My first time with an incubator as well (prior hatches with broody). I removed 12 chicks at 12:45 and left two in the bator (1 just hatched at 12:40!) Total of 15 (1 died from organs outside body) with a couple more eggs with ext pips. They pipped yesterday afternoon and if there is no progress by 2:30 (24 hours after pip), I will place a teeny tiny hole in the air cell. The bottom of bator is a grate type, they can grab.
As I thought only 40% would be fertilized...PTL, it's about a 80%+ hatch rate! Good executive decision.