Time in incubator after hatch.

[blewis]

How long should I leave a chick in the incubator that has hatched. Other chicks are still hatching. Should they be left in incubator until they are completely dry?

 

[Duckopolis]

Yes, leave them for at least 6-12 hours, or until all of them are dry. Then transfer them to a brooder with a warm heat lamp.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They should stay till dry but more importantly, don't open the incubator because you'll lose the humidity and harm those still hatching.
They can stay a couple days.

 

[dheltzel]

You should leave them until all the chicks are hatched. They can survive for 2 -3 days before needing food and water.

That said, if you're like me, YOU can't survive watching them in there and not in the brooder, but do try to be patient and wait until as many are hatched as possible. When I do open the incubator to remove them, I take all the chicks (as quickly as possible, to restore the humidity for the others quickly), even the ones not dry, they can dry in the brooder (usually faster because the humidity is lower). Once I think the last have hatched, it's not a problem to open the incubator, so I leave them until they look ready to run around.

 

[Duckopolis]

You should leave them until all the chicks are hatched. They can survive for 2 -3 days before needing food and water.

That said, if you're like me, YOU can't survive watching them in there and not in the brooder, but do try to be patient and wait until as many are hatched as possible. When I do open the incubator to remove them, I take all the chicks (as quickly as possible, to restore the humidity for the others quickly), even the ones not dry, they can dry in the brooder (usually faster because the humidity is lower). Once I think the last have hatched, it's not a problem to open the incubator, so I leave them until they look ready to run around.

x<3

 

[Duckopolis]

Yes, I cannot stand watching them in there. I just want to open the incubator, but I restrain myself.

 

[blewis]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I didn't know if it would bother the other eggs getting knocked around by the hatched chicks. I had 25 eggs on incubator, 3 have hatched and all but 2 have pipping.

 

[blewis]

Update on chicken hatch. 24 healthy chicks. Lost on during pipping, one after hatch, and the other one died during embryo staged. I think that is a pretty good hatch rate. I had originally set 33 eggs. After candling I found one that had a blood ring and the others I don't think were fertile. They did not show any signs of development.

 

[Duckopolis]

That is pretty good, a 79.2% hatch rate!