The chicks are doing great. I moved them to the brooder after about 38 hours in the bator (for the oldest ones). They are super vigorous and healthy, I am thrilled!
I don’t know if you can see it in the pics at all but they are already getting some little feather on the tips of their wings. One had a little poop stuck to it’s butt so I soaked it with a warm, wet wash cloth and pulled most of that off. All six are healthy, eating and drinking, and sleeping a lot. I raised their heat lamp a little bit because they were crowded at the far end and obviously too hot. Now they are moving around comfortably although a thermometer right under the lamp is only reading just over 90 degrees F. I usually start them at 99 and go down gradually but if they’re happy, I’m happy.
I set 24 more eggs in the bator tonight! This could definitely be addicting. I’m hoping for a better hatch rate this time since I stored all the eggs at room temperature, in egg cartons, and tipped them a couple times each day by putting a canning jar ring under one side of the cartons.
Oh, I almost forgot… I let the bator run with the last 4 eggs in it until late last night. When I took the chicks out I let the eggs go for another 8 hours or so then I figured they were duds so I candled them. One of the eggs peeped at me. I put them all back in the bator right away and hoped he would hatch. He never even pipped the shell so I finally opened up all 4 eggs last night. 2 eggs just had yolks and maybe some very early development. The other 2 had fully developed chicks inside but they were both dead. I think they must have gotten stuck from the loss of humidity when I opened the bator and took the chicks out and then opened it and candled them. I guess next time I’ll wait longer if the chicks are doing okay in there, and I’ll grab them out quick and then not open the bator again for a few days. I really thought the eggs all had plenty of time to hatch but I guess not. It was so sad to see those two chicks that never got to come out but I’m glad to have the 6 that did. I guess incubating is a learning experience just like anything else! 
