Chicks are here..Now what!?!?!?!

[PhlyinPheBee]

Ok. So far 2 chicks have hatched under my hen.

One more to go.

So question is do I put feed in there now or do I wait. The only thing that the hen will eat is scratch so I took that out so a chick cannot get in it. I know that they can go 2-3 days without food. Will it hurt them to if they eat sooner????

 

[StrawberryHouseMouse]

You really should have read up on this stuff before getting chicks. Go ahead and put some food and water in with them. Hope you have the correct feed/water containers. Sprinkle some food on the floor of your brooder as well.

 

[PhlyinPheBee]

I do have chick feeders and water bottles. I also have chick food of 24%, 20% and 18%. I just did not know if it was ok for them to eat on their first day of life. The chicks that I have bought in the past were all 3 days or older. I have never hatched any and it will be a VERY long it if I ever do this again!!!

I had a broody hen and a BYCer suggested getting her some eggs to hatch. So I did!

 

[gimme sum eggs]

The hatchery we got ours from said they live off their yolks for the first 2 days of life. Apparently they ingest whats left of the yolk before they start to hatch.