Brooding a single chick??

[TheBanditQueen]

We just had our first chick hatch out of a dozen barnyard mix incubator eggs. So far there is one more pipped egg. I'm crossing my fingers for it to hatch, but if it doesn't, what do I do with only one chick? Can it be brooded successfully?

Our feed store doesn't get chicks for at least another month. So I guess my options are finding someone local with new chicks, or seeing if I can order some pronto. Would either of those even work?

The first chick pipped yesterday evening, and was hatched this morning when we got up. The second was pipped this morning, no progress for the last hour or so. Is this normal, to have such a long time between pips?

This is our first hatch and I am really nervous about it. Please no lectures...I really am trying to do it right.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Getting a couple more chicks would be the best option, but you could also stick a mirror, stuffed animal or feather duster in the brooder.

Is your incubator still air? If so, the one that hatched first may have been in a warmer spot in the 'bator, and the later pip in a cooler spot. Did you rotate your eggs to different places during incubation? That helps to ensure that eggs in cool spots get moved to warm spots and eggs in warm spots to cool spots.

Ideally, your chicks should pip around the same time, and hatch around the same time (say, in a 24 hour period). Did your first chick hatch on day 21, or is your hatch delayed? You might expect other eggs to still hatch if they aren't too terribly late.

 

[One Chick Two]

We just had our first chick hatch out of a dozen barnyard mix incubator eggs. So far there is one more pipped egg. I'm crossing my fingers for it to hatch, but if it doesn't, what do I do with only one chick? Can it be brooded successfully?

Our feed store doesn't get chicks for at least another month. So I guess my options are finding someone local with new chicks, or seeing if I can order some pronto. Would either of those even work?

The first chick pipped yesterday evening, and was hatched this morning when we got up. The second was pipped this morning, no progress for the last hour or so. Is this normal, to have such a long time between pips?

This is our first hatch and I am really nervous about it. Please no lectures...I really am trying to do it right.

We recently had only one BCM chick hatch, and although he did not chirp (unhappily), he seemed lonely. I put in a compact mirror and he spent hours looking at himself and cuddling up to the chick in the mirror. Then, I took some bits of rabbit fur to make a "momma."

Sewed the bits all together and stuffed the body. The baby slept faithfully next to the momma, and climbed on her, but never spoiled her. Three days later we had three female banties who though he was THEIR momma. He was so happy-, and never got a moment of peace from them! They laid all over him, showered attention on him, and every morning they would all play "keep away" together. He protected and cared for them, showing them tidbits and good things to peck at. It is touching to see them all so happy. They are all in a brooder pen outside now, doing well, but never apart for more than a minute.

My recommendation is to get a mirror, and build some type of momma, or put in a small, stuffed animal until you can get a few friends for him as soon as you can.

Best wishes!

 

[TheBanditQueen]

Getting a couple more chicks would be the best option, but you could also stick a mirror, stuffed animal or feather duster in the brooder.

Is your incubator still air? If so, the one that hatched first may have been in a warmer spot in the 'bator, and the later pip in a cooler spot. Did you rotate your eggs to different places during incubation? That helps to ensure that eggs in cool spots get moved to warm spots and eggs in warm spots to cool spots.

Ideally, your chicks should pip around the same time, and hatch around the same time (say, in a 24 hour period). Did your first chick hatch on day 21, or is your hatch delayed? You might expect other eggs to still hatch if they aren't too terribly late.

It's a Hovabator 1588. I think those are forced air, correct? We had the eggs in the automatic turner, so they stayed in the same place all the time, until we removed the turner and placed them on the wire floor. I didn't know that about warm and cool spots. O.O

The odd thing is, we set the eggs on March 8th, and put them in lockdown on Thursday, the 26th. So the hatched one pipped yesterday evening, day 19, and is 2 days early (if I counted right), and the pipped ones are early too. I'm wondering if the incubator temp was a little high. But the 21 day mark is tomorrow. Maybe I can still hold out hope for the rest of the eggs?

We recently had only one BCM chick hatch, and although he did not chirp (unhappily), he seemed lonely. I put in a compact mirror and he spent hours looking at himself and cuddling up to the chick in the mirror. Then, I took some bits of rabbit fur to make a "momma."

Sewed the bits all together and stuffed the body. The baby slept faithfully next to the momma, and climbed on her, but never spoiled her. Three days later we had three female banties who though he was THEIR momma. He was so happy-, and never got a moment of peace from them! They laid all over him, showered attention on him, and every morning they would all play "keep away" together. He protected and cared for them, showing them tidbits and good things to peck at. It is touching to see them all so happy. They are all in a brooder pen outside now, doing well, but never apart for more than a minute.

My recommendation is to get a mirror, and build some type of momma, or put in a small, stuffed animal until you can get a few friends for him as soon as you can.

Best wishes!

Thanks, you guys, for the suggestions! I will go find those things in case this one doesn't get a buddy hatched.

Gah! This is NERVE RACKING!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

There is definitely still hope for the others to hatch. I would let them go until at least day 23, but if your others are that early, you may not have to.

I don't know if your Hova is a forced air, never had one. If it is, you should be able to see the fan moving.

 

[TheBanditQueen]

Success!! We've got a second chick hatched and getting nice and fluffy, and three more pips!!!!!