when to take chicks out of incubator

[okiemamachick]

im looking ahead to my "hatch date" which is the 13th. Ive read lots of things on here and I know temp can effect whether they come early and I know some come late. my question is this...say I have my 13 eggs in the incubator and I have 4 or 5 hatch on day 21, I know I should continue to incubate the other for a couple days correct? In case they are just a bit late? in the meantime should I remove the hatched chicks? I know youre not supposed to open the incubator during lockdown and it would still continue to be lockdown for the unhatched eggs would taking the chicks out mess with the unhatched eggs? Im probably overthinking this but I want to be prepared in case this were to happen. How many days past 21 do you usually wait until you decide the eggs aren't going to hatch? Also as a side im doing the "dry" method incubation if that effects your answers at all.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

When you take your chicks out is your personal preference. Some like to take them out as soon as they are dry and fluffy and others myself included wait untill hatch is complete. I do however take hatched chicks out by 36 hours by then the incubator is pretty full. Opening is a risk, pipped eggs could become shrink wrapped I say could as this may not happen. I just move what has hatched and put the lid straight back on. I Candle and tap any unhatched eggs when I've moved all the hatched to see what's going on in them, any I'm unsure of I would leave untill day24. I hatch mainly polish and they have white eggs so are easy to see if they are quitters and not going to hatch. Any you are unsure of leave a little longer. You have to do what you feel comfortable with they are your eggs. Doing a dry hatch should make no difference as at lockdown your humidty should be at least 65% if not higher anyway.

Good luck

 

[okiemamachick]

thank you for your reply! very helpful I like to be prepared JUST in case im faced with a situation lol I would love to hear what everyone else does in this situation as well!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

When you take your chicks out is your personal preference. Some like to take them out as soon as they are dry and fluffy and others myself included wait untill hatch is complete. I do however take hatched chicks out by 36 hours by then the incubator is pretty full. Opening is a risk, pipped eggs could become shrink wrapped I say could as this may not happen. I just move what has hatched and put the lid straight back on. I Candle and tap any unhatched eggs when I've moved all the hatched to see what's going on in them, any I'm unsure of I would leave untill day24. I hatch mainly polish and they have white eggs so are easy to see if they are quitters and not going to hatch. Any you are unsure of leave a little longer. You have to do what you feel comfortable with they are your eggs. Doing a dry hatch should make no difference as at lockdown your humidty should be at least 65% if not higher anyway.

Good luck

x's 2. I feel it is a personal decision as well. I am one of those that once they are up and running (if there are more than one hatched, I try not to move a lone chick to the brooder and wait until there's friends to go with him,) I move them and let them finish fluffing in the brooder. I believe you do what's comfortable for you, but I think one thing that should be taken into consideration when deciding is what your humidity is. I usually have 75% humidity at hatch and am comfotable knowing grabbing out the chicks isn't going to drive my humidity down to the "unsafe" percentages. For someone who doesn't or can't get their humidity a little higher, or have problems getting humidity raised back up, they should be more wary of the fact that opening the bator is going to be more of a potential problem with humidity.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

BTW- I switched to dry incubation for my last hatch and was very happy with it!

 

[okiemamachick]

amylynn that's good to hear! I've been liking it really well so far, Though I have nothing to compare it to lol