I had 2 chicks that hatched out yesterday before bed time with one on the way(it had two small wholes made). 3 more were there this morning! Yeah!!! Anyway, when I put them on the bottom of the incubator at day 18, I candled them in the procss. About half of the eggs were completely dark below the air cell - all the way to the small end of the egg. But a batch of them - the other half - had the air cell and were solid dark in the rest of the egg, except a small area at the small end about the size of the air cell - maybe a little smaller.
I am taking this to mean that these chicks were a little behind the others in their growth. The rest of the eggs in the bator have no pips yet. My question is this, should I go ahead and move these chicks to the brooder and let the other eggs stay longer, or keep the chicks with them a while longer? The oldest chick was hatched around 2-3PM yesterday. I know they are supposed to be ok for 24 hours, but I hate to make them wait for food and water.
The chicks that are hatched are not fuzzy either. Their feathers are still moist looking - I think they are drying, but are not puffing up. Is this ok? Should I do anything with them when it is time to move them to the brooder to puff their feathers up if they haven't?
Thanks all!
Andrew
I am taking this to mean that these chicks were a little behind the others in their growth. The rest of the eggs in the bator have no pips yet. My question is this, should I go ahead and move these chicks to the brooder and let the other eggs stay longer, or keep the chicks with them a while longer? The oldest chick was hatched around 2-3PM yesterday. I know they are supposed to be ok for 24 hours, but I hate to make them wait for food and water.
The chicks that are hatched are not fuzzy either. Their feathers are still moist looking - I think they are drying, but are not puffing up. Is this ok? Should I do anything with them when it is time to move them to the brooder to puff their feathers up if they haven't?
Thanks all!
Andrew
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