Are chicks going to be okay in incubator for 2 days??

[talkinboutchickens]

Hello!
It is day 20 of incubation and 7 chicks have hatched today so far, and it looks like 2 are on their way!!!
But, there are still some that need to hatch. I incubated eggs at different times, four were added on the day after I set the eggs.
Eggs #21 and #22 (the only surviving out of the 4 that were added the day after I set the eggs) are due to hatch on Friday.
I understand that you can't open the lid of the incubator until day 23 (the hope is is that all chicks should be hatched by then) and why you can't do that is because it will cause a vacuum effect and suffocate the pipping chicks that are still in their shells.
So, my question is, since those two eggs are due to hatch on Friday, is it okay or not to leave the chicks that are in the incubator now for that long? If they take longer to hatch, what do I do????? My incubator is kinda flat to there is not much room for them...Especially not when all of the chicks will be hatched! I am hoping that those two eggs that are going to hatch then won't hatch a day or two later than Friday if that makes sense. Some sites say to take your chicks out after 24 hours after hatching and some sites say 48 hours. I don't know who to trust! That's why I would like to hear from your personal experience.

Thanks so much!

 

[sourland]

As long as you are able to maintain humidity at desired level, opening the incubator can be done safely.

 

[Ridgerunner]

because it will cause a vacuum effect and suffocate the pipping chicks that are still in their shells.

Not a vacuum or suffocation. If the humidity gets too low in the incubator after an egg has pipped the membrane that surrounds the chick may shrink, locking it into place so it cannot move to hatch. Opening the incubator can let the moisture out so you have some risk of shrink-wrapping the chicks that have pipped.

That is the risk. But the actual odds of that happening are pretty low. Lots of people open the incubator all the time with no precautions and do not shrink-wrap their chicks. Opening the incubator when the egg has pipped is not an automatic death sentence, but there is a risk.

Shrink-wrap is not an automatic death sentence either. You can find instructions on how to help a shrink-wrapped chicks in the Learning Center. Or do a search for it.

Some people take the incubator into their bathroom and steam it up by running the shower on hot for a while to raise the humidity before they open the incubator. Others may spritz the eggs with a spray of warm water to keep them moist. I don't do either.

If I don't have what I consider a good reason I don't open the incubator during lockdown. Why take an unnecessary risk if there is no reason? But if I have a reason I open it. Over the years I've had a couple shrink-wrap but it is very few. I considered the risk worth it or I would not have opened it to start with.

Before they hatch a chick absorbs the yolk. They can live off of that yolk for over 72 hours after hatch before they need to eat or drink. In your situation I'd leave the chicks in there for 72 hours after the first one hatched, then take them out and close it back up to see what happens.

So, my question is, since those two eggs are due to hatch on Friday, is it okay or not to leave the chicks that are in the incubator now for that long? If they take longer to hatch, what do I do????? My incubator is kinda flat to there is not much room for them...Especially not when all of the chicks will be hatched! I am hoping that those two eggs that are going to hatch then won't hatch a day or two later than Friday if that makes sense. Some sites say to take your chicks out after 24 hours after hatching and some sites say 48 hours. I don't know who to trust! That's why I would like to hear from your personal experience.

Thanks so much!

 

[mcdze]

i wouldnt leave them in there lol .. id be quick about it but put them in the brooder and get them eating and drinking ..if the other two make it they make it, they likely will ..

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Not a vacuum or suffocation. If the humidity gets too low in the incubator after an egg has pipped the membrane that surrounds the chick may shrink, locking it into place so it cannot move to hatch. Opening the incubator can let the moisture out so you have some risk of shrink-wrapping the chicks that have pipped.

That is the risk. But the actual odds of that happening are pretty low. Lots of people open the incubator all the time with no precautions and do not shrink-wrap their chicks. Opening the incubator when the egg has pipped is not an automatic death sentence, but there is a risk.

Shrink-wrap is not an automatic death sentence either. You can find instructions on how to help a shrink-wrapped chicks in the Learning Center. Or do a search for it.

Some people take the incubator into their bathroom and steam it up by running the shower on hot for a while to raise the humidity before they open the incubator. Others may spritz the eggs with a spray of warm water to keep them moist. I don't do either.

If I don't have what I consider a good reason I don't open the incubator during lockdown. Why take an unnecessary risk if there is no reason? But if I have a reason I open it. Over the years I've had a couple shrink-wrap but it is very few. I considered the risk worth it or I would not have opened it to start with.

Before they hatch a chick absorbs the yolk. They can live off of that yolk for over 72 hours after hatch before they need to eat or drink. In your situation I'd leave the chicks in there for 72 hours after the first one hatched, then take them out and close it back up to see what happens.

Thanks so much! So the vacuum effect wouldn't happen??? That's really interesting that they can live off of the yolk for 72 hours! No wonder they are pooping a lot....

 

[talkinboutchickens]

As long as you are able to maintain humidity at desired level, opening the incubator can be done safely.

The humidity in the room that the incubator is in is around 50% and the humidity is about 65% in the incubator. Would it be okay to lift up the lid?

 

[CEW]

Hello!
It is day 20 of incubation and 7 chicks have hatched today so far, and it looks like 2 are on their way!!!
But, there are still some that need to hatch. I incubated eggs at different times, four were added on the day after I set the eggs.
Eggs #21 and #22 (the only surviving out of the 4 that were added the day after I set the eggs) are due to hatch on Friday.
I understand that you can't open the lid of the incubator until day 23 (the hope is is that all chicks should be hatched by then) and why you can't do that is because it will cause a vacuum effect and suffocate the pipping chicks that are still in their shells.
So, my question is, since those two eggs are due to hatch on Friday, is it okay or not to leave the chicks that are in the incubator now for that long? If they take longer to hatch, what do I do????? My incubator is kinda flat to there is not much room for them...Especially not when all of the chicks will be hatched! I am hoping that those two eggs that are going to hatch then won't hatch a day or two later than Friday if that makes sense. Some sites say to take your chicks out after 24 hours after hatching and some sites say 48 hours. I don't know who to trust! That's why I would like to hear from your personal experience.

Thanks so much!

I don’t know about that. You can’t open the lid for a couple of days on hatch day I do it all the time without any kind of problems I do not trust the automatic turners. So I open the lid twice a day once in the morning, and I turn every egg by hand once in the evening, and I turned every egg by hand and I checked that incubator every day when the chicks are hatched, I open it up and I take the egg shells out, I have never had a problem. I’ve always had really good hatch rates and I’ve never lost a chick due to opening the incubator but to answer your question when a chicken comes out the egg it’s good for at least 24 hours in the incubator can leave them in there longer me personally I take them out as soon as they’re dry and put them under a heat lamp as I said, I’ve never had a problem

 

[NatJ]

Hello!
It is day 20 of incubation and 7 chicks have hatched today so far, and it looks like 2 are on their way!!!
But, there are still some that need to hatch. I incubated eggs at different times, four were added on the day after I set the eggs.
Eggs #21 and #22 (the only surviving out of the 4 that were added the day after I set the eggs) are due to hatch on Friday.
I understand that you can't open the lid of the incubator until day 23 (the hope is is that all chicks should be hatched by then) and why you can't do that is because it will cause a vacuum effect and suffocate the pipping chicks that are still in their shells.
So, my question is, since those two eggs are due to hatch on Friday, is it okay or not to leave the chicks that are in the incubator now for that long? If they take longer to hatch, what do I do????? My incubator is kinda flat to there is not much room for them...Especially not when all of the chicks will be hatched! I am hoping that those two eggs that are going to hatch then won't hatch a day or two later than Friday if that makes sense. Some sites say to take your chicks out after 24 hours after hatching and some sites say 48 hours. I don't know who to trust! That's why I would like to hear from your personal experience.

Thanks so much!

Opening the lid one time, for a few minutes is generally no big deal. The more often you open it, and the longer you keep it open, the more likely you are to have problems (but even then, there is no guarantee of problems, just an increased chance.)

If you have a point when the already-hatched chicks are dry and fluffy, and you do not see any eggs with pips, I would open the incubator one time to take out the already-hatched chicks, then close it again to wait for later chicks to hatch.

If you do not want to have the incubator open for very long, think ahead: have a box handy to put the chicks into, and maybe a trash can for eggshells. That way you can lift the lid, pull them out, and close it without delay.