Backyard Poultry Forum

I have chicks that are currently pipping. They started yesterday and one hatched overnight. There are about 6 that have started but not progressed very far....they are very slow compared to other hatchings and they are from posted eggs.
The humidity is set for 65. Would it help to raise the humidity or perhaps spray lightly with water?
I hate this part of incubation as I cant do anything to help them so any advice would be appreciated.

Cranked up the humidity to 67-70 and 6 more have hatched. Only 9 more to go!!
Looks like they need more humidity than I thought.
I won't be moving them out of the incubator until tomorrow morning. That will mean that the first hatchling will have been out for a bit more than 24 hours.
I hope that will be OK as I have read that hatcheries can make them wait up to 48 hours before they are moved to the brooder.
What do you all think?

When they are fluffy and looking pretty steady on their feet you can move them out of the incubator. It’s ok if that happpens in only 24 hours.

Turning up the humidity by that much probably didn’t make any difference. It was probably a coincidence that they seemed to speed up the hatching process at around the same time.

Hope you get a bunch more out of the 9 remaining

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Cheerio, Rach
Blue Swedish Ducks

They will be ok in the incubator for up to about 72 hours - the absorbed yolk will sustain them. Try not to open the incubator when any are pipping and if you do a quick spray with hot water (it will be cooler by the time it hits the air) will restore the humidity. More humidity is better than less in the final stages.

Yes this hatch was a lesson about humidity I think. Every time I hatch I learn a little bit more.
I didn't have a great deal of faith in these eggs being OK because they got delayed in the mail, sent to the wrong place and were very much knocked about in the postal system.
However out of 16 eggs I now have 9 little chicks which I have transferred to the brooder today.
Taught some to pick at food but they are not drinking yet....that will come.

Thanks for the feedback!

I thought you were asking if only 24 hours in the incubator was ok, when you were actually asking if longer than that would be ok! Glad that Sue read things properly!

Yes, chicks are fine for several days without food and water. In my experience they are pretty damn keen for a drink and and very hungry by that stage though.

_________________
Cheerio, Rach
Blue Swedish Ducks