Eggs hatching, need quick answer.

[Oldcountryboy]

I will be asking this on the poultry forum also.

Our eggs hatching right at this moment and this is our first time using a incubator. My question is, Will someone have to stay up all night to take the dry chicks out and put in the brooder box? Or will it be alright to leave them in the incubator till morning?

[Joshie]

I believe they are OK for a day or two.

[chickenista]

You don't have to stay up all night.
And it depends on how much extra room there is in your incubator too..
We use a hatcher for hatching chicks.. on the day they come off the turner we put them into the hatcher. It has more room etc..
And we try not to leave them in after they get mostly dry, especially at the end of the hatch, the incubator gets really funky and I do not like the thought of them breathing in all the funkiness.

[samm]

if they hatched after we went to bed, we just move them, after they have dried off pretty good , into the brooder...go on to bed, rest well, they will be okay.

samm

[Wisconsin Ann]

I'm a bit late to the party here, but I always leave the chicks in the hatcher 24 hours if I can. There is quite a bit of evidence out there that the peeping from the chicks encourages others still in the egg to keep trying.

Of course, ifthe hatcher is crowded at all, it's a problem when they hatch since they're all OVER the place trying to walk.

[Oldcountryboy]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin Ann

Of course, ifthe hatcher is crowded at all, it's a problem when they hatch since they're all OVER the place trying to walk.

Yep, I'm finding that out. The instructions says I can place up to 44 chicken eggs in the incubator and that I did. The first couple hatched out and they started rolling eggs everywhere. So as soon as they were fairly dry we put them in the brooder box that is down below the table the incubator is placed on.

So far we have only 4 chicks to hatch out and a fifth one on the way. Don't know what were doing wrong.

[Lairvine]

Its best to not open till the hatch is complete. However, WHO CAN do that???? I have to cause my 'bater is small, really small when hatching ducks! LOL!