Chick just hatched, now what? <Picture Added>

[bwmichaud]

I just had my first chick hatch and don't know what to do. It's running around the incubator cheeping away. Should I put a cup of water in there for it or give it some food. I feel that I should just leave it alone. I heard that it has enough food for 3 days or so without feeding it. I'm pretty excited but pretty freaked out at the same time. Did y'all know that chickens came out of those eggs?

 

[harleyjo]

I have never incubated but I think I have read that you just leave them in there for a little bit yet.

 

[Kittymomma]

Just leave it alone for now. If you start mucking about in the bator trying to take care of the new chick you can hurt the chances of the ones that haven't hatched yet by screwing up the temp. and humidity. The chick will cheep a lot because it's lonely, but it doesn't need any food/water for a day or two anyhow. I crank the heat and humidity up in the bathroom (hot shower) after 24 hours and remove hatched/fluffed out chicks.

 

[bwmichaud]

O.K. That works for me. He's running around cheeping his little chicken brain out and climbing on the other eggs. I guess he's saying "hey guys, come on out and play." It's all new for me and pretty exciting. It's still hard to believe that chickens come out of eggs. Who knew. Ha Ha.

 

[donrae]

I love your enthusiasm! Ain't the miracle of birth great

 

[The Egg Bandit]

I'm an incubataholic. I love the excitement of a new hatch. I usually leave the little fuzzy butts in the 'bator until they are good and dry. And quiet. Then they get moved to the warmed brooder. Sometimes it is a day or two. They need to be dry before you move them. I like to have several to move to the brooder at the same time. It's worked for me. Out of 152 chicks hatched this year, I only lost 2. Both were ones I had to help out of the egg 23 days in. Nature always wins. I now know that I can't save them all. But give them a little time to fluff before you pull them from the 'bator.

 

[bwmichaud]

I've got 4 that have hatched so far and another one is almost there. There are 3 additional ones with small holes that will hopefully hatch today. The remaining 4 have nothing going on at all. What helpless little critters they are when the first come out. It's a miracle they make it.

 

[sheila3935]

My first chick just hatched this morning well almost she is still trying to get completely out of the shell. Started to pip about 9 last night. none of the rest are doing anything yet but today is the 21st day. Hope I get some more and so do you.

 

[mom2to]

Quote:
will you take pics and let us see them? what breed are they?

 

[bwmichaud]

I'll try to get pictures. The windows are pretty fogged up right now but as soon as it clears, I'll give it a try. The guy I got the eggs from wasn't sure what they would be. I posted on Craigslist that I needed fertile eggs to hatch and he was the only one to respond and his price was $4 a dozen. I didn't want to pay for expensive eggs and have them shipped when I really didn't think this styrofoam box would hatch chicks. The guy said he has mostly Australorps and Buff Orpingtons but they all run free so he couldn't guarantee anything. I just had a $10 coupon for Tractor Supply so I figured I'd pick up the styrofoam incubator. It only cost $32 after the coupon. A friend of mine had an electric turner and I rigged up an old computer fan to move the air around. I still can't believe they hatched.