Hatching bantam eggs

[poiuytrewq]

Advice please!
I’ve had 6 bantam eggs in an incubator and they are due to hatch this Thursday ?
The incubation temp is 37.5 and I’ve turned them twice a day and added a little water for humidity as per the pretty basic instruction sheet I had.
Now it says to turn the heat down and increase humidity 3 days before hatching.
What do I turn it down to?
Also if they hatch I know not to help and then to leave the chicks until they are dry? Is that right?
I’ve got an indoor rabbit cage set up for the chicks to go into with a heat lamp over. How long do I keep them under heat for? And what temp am I aiming for under the lamp?
Thanks!! Worried parent moment

 

[Clodagh]

I don t turn the temp down, just MO. I hatch hundreds a year but all incubators are different. Do you have a hygrometer?
Heat lamp, you want it to feel pleasantly warm on the back of your hand. Once chicks are under it you neither want them huddling together or avoiding it.

 

[Clodagh]

And a non slip surface !

 

[poiuytrewq]

Thank you. So really keep things much the same until Thursday.
No I don’t have a hydrometer. It’s a pretty basic cheapo incubator. We previously had a Brinsea (sp) but it didn’t keep the temp and nothing ever hatched.
I thought id put shavings in the cage?

 

[Clodagh]

I use old towels or tea towels for the first few days. You can also pad newspaper under them and roll up the towel every few hours. They smell, a lot!
Yes to increasing humidity anyway, I put a sponge in a bowl of water in mine, but all depends on size and circulation.
Good luck!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Thanks for the tips!
Watch this space...

 

[poiuytrewq]

I have 2 beautiful little chicks. One of each type of egg I had hatched. Sadly one started to hatch then died and 3 eggs did nothing at all. No idea why.
The chicks appear healthy, they are active and chirpy but not eating which concerns me a bit. Is that. Usual? They’d be just over 24 hrs old

 

[Clodagh]

Best if they don’t eat to start with, they digest the yolk first.
After 2 or 3 days they’ll eat, you can ‘peck’ at the crumb with your finger to give them the idea. Same with water . Fingers crossed for girls!

 

[Clodagh]

How are they doing?