True or false; don’t open incubator within 24 hours of first chick hatching?

[Vonchmessica]

What do you mean by zipping? Is that the same as pipping? I have over 20 eggs in so I’m sure some will be pipping while others are ready to be removed?

 

[le_bwah]

After they pip, the chicks work the egg open as though "unzipping" themselves. During this stage, the inside of the egg is prone to water loss and that's when you see chicks getting shrink-wrapped. Opening the incubator quickly while eggs have only just pipped is safe; opening it while chicks are actively zipping is more risky. It's a good thing that the time is short between the start of zipping and hatching out.

 

[Vonchmessica]

After they pip, the chicks work the egg open as though "unzipping" themselves. During this stage, the inside of the egg is prone to water loss and that's when you see chicks getting shrink-wrapped. Opening the incubator quickly while eggs have only just pipped is safe; opening it while chicks are actively zipping is more risky. It's a good thing that the time is short between the start of zipping and hatching out.

Oh ok thanks , that makes much more sense. Really appreciate this place and all the knowledge you guys share. Thanks you all!

 

[Fishkeeper]

"Zipping" is when they start poking holes all around the egg to cut it in half so they can get out. It really does look a bit like a zipper all the way around the egg was undone.

 

[For my girl]

It depends... We have 3 incubators, one is a store bought unit - the other two are homemade from Igloo Cube ice chests. The eggs in the Igloo's are far down inside it - and opening it doesn't change the humidity much. If the humidity is on the low side then I'll only open it to add water - but I hatch 80 at a time and will reach in with a little plastic mesh basket to take up to 20 hatchlings out at a time (once they are dry and running around). Unlike chickens - our quail will be checking out the food and water within an hour of being in the brooder. We don't leave any in the incubator over 8 hours after hatching.