I'm new to incubating/hatching chickens and ducks. My first chick hatched about 20 minutes ago. How long do I leave him and the other eggs in the incubator, and when is it time to get rid of the eggs that don't hatch?
My incubator has decent circulation and my baby quail appear to dry out reasonably quick. I have had only small amounts in lockdown at a time (around 8-15 eggs). I wait 12 hours after the last egg has hatched before I move them to the brooder. I removed the unhatched eggs about 2 days after moving the bulk of them to the brooder. Maybe, about 72 hours after first egg hatched. I haven't lost a bird in the brooder, yet.
Wait until the last egg has hatched, or 72 hours from when the first egg hatched, whichever comes first. I leave the chicks in until they're dry and fluffy and active.
Seems we all have our own opinions on this. I’ve hatched two batches and waited until the chicks were dry before removing them. Usually just a few hours. The eggs that didn’t hatch got tossed around day 23-24.