# Whilst hatching- opening the incubator



## leviparker (Jun 13, 2013)

How often can I open the incubator?


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## kessy09 (Jun 16, 2013)

leviparker said:


> How often can I open the incubator?


You shouldn't open it at all. During hatching, after a chick pips and there is a decrease in humidity you run the risk of shrink wrapping them (their membrane dries up rapidly and sticks to them causing suffocation). They absorb their yolk and can go three days without food/water so you don't need to worry about that. Basically once lockdown occurs you do not open the incubator at all for five days.


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## ReTIRED (Mar 28, 2013)

I disagree.
You CAN....early on...open the incubator _for a FEW MOMENTS....
....to remove eggs to "Candle" or "WEIGH".....OR Turn daily...(Use an automatic Turner...MUCH BETTER ! )
....try to keep the opening of the Incubator VERY _MINIMAL... 
...and DON'T "waste-time" OR leave the Incubator "Open" while Candling OR Weighing eggs. ( DON'T leave it OPEN !!! )

I would do these 2 things ONLY on Day 7, Day 14, and Day 18.
Or Before incubating...on Day 1, Day 7, Day 14, AND Day 18. (better)
IF you _are PREPARED *and *_reasonably quick ( not-to-worry ) .....
You won't have ANY NEGATIVE EFFECT upon the Hatch *!!!

*_just MY opinion,
_-ReTIRED-
*P.S. No doubt...there are OTHER *_conflicting OPINIONS ._ It's only _MY _opinion. ( I think that it is IMPORTANT to see _APPROXIMATELY _.... a 14 *% *_reduction in the WEIGHT _of the egg from *Day 1 to Day 18.* BUT, again. that is just MY opinion.
*???*


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## kessy09 (Jun 16, 2013)

ReTIRED said:


> I disagree.
> You CAN....early on...open the incubator for a FEW MOMENTS....
> ....to remove eggs to "Candle" or "WEIGH".....OR Turn daily...(Use an automatic Turner...MUCH BETTER ! )
> ....try to keep the opening of the Incubator VERY MINIMAL...
> ...


I agree with you totally but he asked how often he can open the incubator "during hatching." Shouldn't he not do that at all during hatching?? This would all be after day 18.


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## ReTIRED (Mar 28, 2013)

kessy09 said:


> I agree with you totally but he asked how often he can open the incubator "during hatching." Shouldn't he not do that at all during hatching?? This would all be after day 18.


*Yep ! 
I would NOT open *the incubator after day 18 ( "Lockdown" ).
THAT is WHY it is called "Lockdown".

and I wouldn't open it very much or often before then either.

It is ALSO _WHY _you should raise the Humidity to around 65 % or a little bit more at day 18 ( not much more ...maybe 70% ) AVOID "shrink-wrap"....._BUT...._you also do not want to "drown" them with Humidity TOO HIGH !

YOU are RIGHT, *kessy09 !*

-ReTIRED-


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## leviparker (Jun 13, 2013)

kessy09 said:


> I agree with you totally but he asked how often he can open the incubator "during hatching." Shouldn't he not do that at all during hatching?? This would all be after day 18.


Thanks guys.


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## ReTIRED (Mar 28, 2013)

You're welcome.
I sincerely *HOPE *that your incubation HATCH is very successfull *!!!*
*( IF you get 50 % ....*I'd consider THAT successful. ! )

*Good Luck !!
*-ReTIRED-
*P.S. *Please let us all know HOW the hatch turns out . Pictures would be nice, also.


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## yessi_boo (May 4, 2013)

ReTIRED said:


> Yep !
> I would NOT open the incubator after day 18 ( "Lockdown" ).
> THAT is WHY it is called "Lockdown".
> 
> ...


Thank goodness I live in Miami, Florida and the humidity levels are almost always way above 50%  after a week old, we never continue to give our chicks any lamp warmth (unless it's writer/fall time and at night). It's always in the low 90s or high 80s so we just put them outside in the grass with "momma rooster" as we call him and the sun and heat always keep them warm. We constantly check up on them and check for overly loud peeping, weakness or anything else. "momma rooster" usually does a good job teaching them to eat and drink. He falls in love with all our babies and even sits on them if he wants to take a nap but doesn't want them to wander off.


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