Hatching day
Touching eggs, chicks or cleaning the incubator? Wash your hands!
On day 21 the chicks will start "pipping" (break out of the shell). This is the period when the higher humidity in the incubator is most important and it should not be opened.
In 24 hours you should move them to a brood box. Here is a brief set of care instructions.
Preparing the Brood Box:
- Set up a brooder box with clean bedding (e.g., wood shavings, pet wee pads, textured cloth etc).
- Install a heat lamp, maintaining the temperature around 32-35°C (90-95°F).
- Provide a shallow water dish and chick starter feed.
After Hatching:
- Do not open the incubator until around 48 hours after the first chick hatches.
- Turn the brooder heat source on 1 hour before transfer.
- After 48 hours transfer any chicks that are dry and active to the brooder.
- Reseal the incubator as quickly as possible (to keep the humidity and heat up), allow at least 24 hours after the last chick hatches before giving up on any unhatched eggs.
Careful, that heat lamp is hot and can burn, do not touch or allow children to get chicks from the brooder. Always supervise children, ensure they do not squeeze the chicks!
Daily Maintenance:
- Water: Replace with fresh, clean water daily; ensure it's shallow to prevent drowning.
- Food: Check and refill chick starter feed as needed.
- Temperature: Adjust the heat lamp height as chicks grow to maintain a comfortable temperature.
- If the chicks are clumped together under the heat source, then they are too cold!
- If the chicks are clumped together in the corner of the cage as far away from the heat lamp as they can get, then they are too hot!
- Chicks moving about the cage? Spot on!
Touching eggs, chicks or cleaning the incubator? Wash your hands!
What if the Chick is Having Difficulty Hatching?
There are varying opinions on whether you should assist chicks that struggle to emerge from their eggs. Some believe that if a chick cannot hatch on its own, it wasn't meant to survive. However, at The Farmers Lot, we recommend intervening under certain conditions, such as when the environment is less than ideal due to factors like running out of water, loss of heat after pipping, or insufficient humidity.
If the chick hasn't hatched within 15-20 hours after pipping, you may consider assisting. This involves carefully peeling away the eggshell, taking care not to damage the chick. Often, the shell membrane may stick to the chick, which should also be gently removed. We typically leave the rear third to half of the shell attached, ensuring the legs and neck are free. A small amount of blood is normal, but it should only be a thin film.