Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[beckyfitz]

Well. I have 3 lovely strong chicks hatched yesterday. One pipped yesterday morning but has made no further progress after more than 24 hours, & the other 3 are not doing anything, can't hear peeping from any of them.

I'm a bit confused as I know its really important not to move them after day 18, but also advised to leave hatched chicks in with the eggs who seem to be using them as footballs!

Surely this can't be doing them any good?

Anyway, I know its a waiting game but has been 24 hours or more since the others hatched & I wish the others would do something!

My family think I've cracked as I've taken to sitting by the incubator for hours cheeping loudly at the eggs...

Becky x

[sjp]

if the first chicks have been out 24 hrs you should be ok to move them in to the brooder and take the egg shell out

I did have one that took about a day and half to hatch. I had to move my first 4 out after about 12hrs as there wasn't enough room in the incubator for them their shells and the last 2 eggs

[Redwing]

The others may not hatch, they should all really hatch close together, a strung out hatch is often a sign of problems sadly

 

The hatched chicks will have made no difference to the eggs, they do kick them around etc.. but this should encourage the others out, it wont do them any harm.

 

A couple of mistakes I made in the early hatching experiences was to remove chicks before they were ready and to open the inccy to right the kicked eggs, a chick will still hatch even if its been rolled over after pipping but if you open the inccy to right it the humidity dips and the exposed membrane at the pip point will dry out making it hard or impossible for the chick to break out so you did the right thing in not trying that.

 

Chicks do sometimes just pip and not hatch and others grow to day 21 and still dont even pip, there are lots of reasons for this sadly

[beckyfitz]

Thanks for your helpful info. We decided to turn the inci off today, the end of day 22. My instinct was telling me on the morning of day 21 when no more had pipped that they probably wouldn't after more than 24 hours. W are very grateful for the lovely healthy 3 we have, & for our first time I think its not bad.

Now planning to buy my own inci (this one was borrowed!) & hatch some bantams, but not till I've made space in the garden & bought a new run for them!

Boys loving the chicks, now we are just praying for girls !!!

Becky x