when to take chicks out of the bator

[jimmythechicken]

we had on hatch last night at 8:30 an one one more today at 7am there is prob another 10 woth holes in them so when should i get that first one out of there he is getting kinda crazy in there.

 

[violetsky]

Is he dry and fluffy?

 

[nhnanna]

If you have other pips I would leave it in there until the others are done. They can live in there for three days on the yolks. If you open it now you will let all the humidity out and maybe shrink wrap the the ones with the pips. Good luck

 

[gallatea]

Some say you can go into a humid bathroom (turn hot shower on til mirrors fog - make it warm and steamy) and that helps if you have to open/shut the incubator door quickly. I couldn't take it - had a crazy chick, he was dry and running about, took him out and into the brooder. .2 second it took to pick him up didn't change the humidity setting on my hydrometer. No others had pipped so no problem with shrink wrapping, if chicks shrink wrap with a .2 second door opening, something beyond wrong to begin with anyway. Have two others hatching this AM, no problems yet.

Also, would add I have a reptipro (fridge type forced air) - so I can crack the door for my hand (a few inches), different story with those foam type incubators where one would have to take the entire top off and let humidity out completely.
Good luck!

 

[Ridgerunner]

They are yours. You can take them out at any time. They can go three days on the absorbed yolk, so you do not have to rush from that aspect.

The risk you take in opening the incubator is that you might shrink-wrap the chicks that have not yet hatched, especially the ones that have pipped or started zipping. What can happen is that enough humidity can escape when you take the chick out that the membrane inside the egg shell dries and sticks to the chick, preventing it from hatching. Some incubators are better than others in getting the humidity back where it needs to be quickly. Some of us have drier or damper conditions inside an air conditioned or heated house. Some of us are more at risk that others.

Does this happen each and every time you open the incubator? No, it does not. Does it ever happen? Yes, I shrink-wrapped one once. I did not shrink-wrap all of them, just the one. Some people don't worry about this. Some do. I cannot tell you how big a risk you would take by opening the incubator. We all have different conditions.

Good luck however you decide to approach it.