- Mar 9, 2007
- 3
- 0
- 7
It's our first time hatching chicks. We have a Hovabator with a dry thermometer no humidity measure. The first chick we helped out and probably shouldn't have. His head was in the small end and I'd read that makes it nearly imposible for them to get out and since he was our first we didn't want him to die in the shell. We didn't realize he was actually early as it was the beginning of the 21st day. We let him break through his own membrane and he actually came out while we were at baseball practice. His sack was still attached and he dragged it around for a while. He stands and walks but now that we have 3 more he still looks like he is a little more clumsy than the others. He hatched about 6:00 last night. Another hatched totally on his own overnight and two more this morning at about 9:45 exactly 21 full days to the hour the eggs went in. When should I take the chicks out of the incubator. I don't want them to get dehydrated before they start to eat and drink. I took out the first two but then worried because the first was still looking weak and neither wanted to drink so I put them back where the tempeture is controlled (100). Are they OK??? They still look damp and sticky but not slimy with egg shell sticking. When should they look dry and fuzzy? When will they want to eat and drink? I'm in Atlanta and I thought I had the feed in a sealed bag from the hatchery but it's actully a vitamin water additive so what can I go buy to feed them from the local Petsmart? Is it OK to put them on corncob in the box when I take them out? Help. Can someone tell me what should be their typical healthy appearance and behavior for the first 3-4 days?