What to do?

[wooklet]

Maybe this has been asked before, if so apologies. I have 24 eggs in the incubator, and when each one hatches, I know that I should leave them there to dry, but they start to flounder around and knock all the other eggs around. How do others cope with this? Is it o.k. to bring them out and put them in a little box under a light to dry?

Thanks, hope I've explained this properly!+

 

[SarahIrl]

That's what I did. I know people will beg you to leave them in for 24 hours, but I was whipping mine out every half hour or so at one stage. Once there were two or three in there until mostly dry, they came out and I left in any that weren't. Just a quick open and grab, no peering into the bator, no messing with empty egg shells. I had the heat lamp set up over the baby chick brooder when I saw the first pip to make sure the lamp would be hot enough, and transferred them bit by bit throughout the day. If you have a bator that can be quickly opened up and shut again you should be ok. I made sure the humidity stayed up by pouring in water onto paper towels along the side I would open (I folded one up and lay it across the front of the bator) and being super quick. Plus, once they hatch the humidity rises like mad anyway. I'm lucky my bator is great at holding temp and humidity anyway.

Happy hatching!

 

[wooklet]

Thank you, I have followed your advice and am taking the chicks out 3 at a time. My incubator seems pretty steady on humidity as well, but have also put the wet paper towel in there. So we have 5 hatched, 3 pipping and 2 wobbling! Hopefully the other 14 will start soon! It's so exciting - I haven't done anything today except look into the incubator and the broody box! And they are sooooooooo CUTE!