We have new hatched eggs but what now?

[newish-to-this]

2 of our 18 eggs have hatched in the past hour or so. How long do we need to wait to take them out of the incubator and into a warm broody box? I'm assuming wait till dry, but we have an open container of water in our homemade incubator and I worry they may fall into the water.

 

[Pork Pie]

They need to dry off first. Chicks can go for at least 36 hours without water / food, so don't worry too much. If you can put marbles, clean stones in the water, it will stop your chicks from drowning.

This link should help you out further, I hope. - https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/raising-your-baby-chicks, as will the relevant section in the Learning Centre.

Good luck!

 

[newish-to-this]

Thank you. I will try and find some kind of screen or something to put over the water container as well as some clean rocks in the bottom.

 

[newish-to-this]

Chick update. 7 out of 18 eggs have hatched, 3 are trying. The first 4 have been moved to the brooder box and have started eating. My kids are extremely excited.

 

[Pork Pie]

Great news! Fingers crossed for the others

 

[newish-to-this]

Fingers crossed. But this hatch will be spread out over the next few days. It took us a few days to fill the incubator out of our coop.