Tiny serama babies...questions?

[shelleyd2008]

The main thing I'm wondering is how long can they stay in the incubator? I'm used to hatching gamebirds that should be taken out within 24 hours. I know chickens 'should' be able to go 3 days without food or water, but these chicks aren't much bigger than my coturnix are at hatch. So I'm wondering if they fall under the '3-day chicken rule' or the 'less than 24 hours' gamebird rule? I have 21 eggs in the incubator and 8 of them have hatched. Some of the eggs are 'bigger' than the others, these 8 chicks hatched from some of the smallest eggs that I got. So I don't expect any action from the 'big' eggs for at least another day. If I leave these little babies in the incubator until all the eggs are done hatching will they be okay? Or should I just go ahead and take these little ones out of the bator?

I'm thinking, even if they fall under the 3-day chicken rule I'll end up having to open the bator when others are hatching anyway.

 

[Sumatra503]

I would go with the 24 hour rule that I use for my chicks. The yolk reserves in the chick's stomach only last 24 hours. A chick should NEVER be left without food and water for the first three days. It will suffer and may starve to death.

24 hours is excellant. I take mine out as soon as they are dry. They are more comfortable that way.

They will not eat for the first 24 hours, but by the end of the second day they are eating and drinking well.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
The yolk sac is supposed to last them 3 days, that's why hatcheries are able to ship day-old chicks

But I have no problems taking them out early, I just need to figure out where to put them