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Be patient! I know it's hard, but leave them in the incubator, so the temp and humidity can remain constant. Once I put mine in lockdown, I didn't open it until most of my chicks were hatched and fluffy (this morning), and that was to quickly scoop the ones out that were dry and ready to go to the brooder - I quickly replaced the lid so the humidity could return to it's proper range. I have 15 out of 17 chicks hatched, and one of the remaining two has pipped. If you're hearing peeping, they've internally pipped. They will do better if you keep your levels constant.
Good luck on your hatch! What's in your 'bator?
But its so hard to keep it closed!! the ones im waiting to hatch are silkies/leghorn cross and two white rock leghorn crosses and i added a white leghorn to lock down yesterday.
I know it's hard - I heard peeping when I put them on lockdown. After I saw the first couple hatch out and fluff up, looking so cute as they peered up at me through the incubator, I just wanted to take them out - they were soooo cute! But all the advice here on BYC said don't keep opening the incubator, they can live up to 48 hrs on their yolk reserves. So I waited until this am, and found 15 hatched!
I was worried that, if I opened the incubator too often, I would shrink-wrap some chicks. I don't want to deal with the thought that I caused the death of any of my chicks. When I took the 13 out (two were still wet, so I left them in the incubator to fluff out), I did it as quickly as I could, and put a paper towel in the water to raise the humidity back to the recommended levels quickly. I'm still waiting on the last two to hatch, and am checking every half hour (LOL) - I'm not opening that incubator until either the other two eggs hatch, or tomorrow am to move the fluffed-out chicks to the brooder.
I can't wait to hear when your babies hatch!
