Chicks not eating/drinking

[tnestler]

Three of our eggs in the incubator finally hatched. One on day 23 and two on day 24! They have been moved to the brood box and shown the food and water. I have yet to see any of them eat or drink! Today is Day 2,in the brood box. They are crying anlot and have been pecking at the bedding and each other.

When we’ve hatched before, I’ve never had a late hatch and never had chicks not eating/drinking. What should I do? I have showed them the food and water more than once.

 

[lorenellen13]

That is completely normal! They tak a few days prior to digest the yolk fully. I know it can be nerve racking when you've come this far! Just keep calm and carry on!

 

[tnestler]

That is completely normal! They tak a few days prior to digest the yolk fully. I know it can be nerve racking when you've come this far! Just keep calm and carry on!

Thank you! They always seem to have so so in the past and the late hatch made me worry!

 

[Theorrin]

I hope this is okay to post here. I am currently in a similar situation. I've never had a chick hatch 4 days late. Its also not eating the chick starter feed and won't drink form the water container and its already a week old. I'm having to hand feed it egg yolk and use my finger as a water dropper for it. I've even tried sprinkling the feed in the egg yolk but it avoids it. It is smaller than the other and still wobbly due to a foot issue but acts more like a baby bird with its mouth open than a chick.

 

[BastyPutt]

I hope this is okay to post here. I am currently in a similar situation. I've never had a chick hatch 4 days late. Its also not eating the chick starter feed and won't drink form the water container and its already a week old. I'm having to hand feed it egg yolk and use my finger as a water dropper for it. I've even tried sprinkling the feed in the egg yolk but it avoids it. It is smaller than the other and still wobbly due to a foot issue but acts more like a baby bird with its mouth open than a chick.

May be a failure to thrive chick. If you are able to get some kind of chick booster for the water, or electrolytes and get that into it, that would probably help. We just dissolved sugar or honey into the water and that works as well.

These chicks can make it, they will just need a lot of attention.