Day 18, one chick hatched Now what?

[Chickn chick 46]

I have my BR in the hen house in a nest box. I closed the opening off this morning with a screen. I think it hatched completely during the night. So how long till I need to give water and food? I couldn't really see if any of the other eggs are hatching yet, but the quick look under her when she got up was nothing significant.

Should I move the hen, the chick and remaining eggs to a separate cage now or wait? This is what makes me nervous, I don't want to upset the whole thing by moving them.

The chick is a cute little thing, black from what I could see and poked its peeping head out from under her to say "Hi"

Thanks for any advice

 

[The Chicken People]

I have never let one of my broodies hatch out eggs yet! So my advice is based on incubating eggs. The chick can live on the yolk for a few days so I wouldnt worry about it just yet! I would put fresh water and chick starter where the momma hen can reach it and leave her be until after the hatch is complete! Maybe someone with more advice will chime in!

 

[pgpoultry]

Leave her until all of the chicks have hatched. Then, move her and her chicks to their own enclosure if at all possible,

sandie

 

[Chickn chick 46]

Quote:
There is no room for a waterer or food in the nest box, plus it is about 2 feet off the ground. The hatch day is actually day 19 so its sooner than I was expecting. I've already lost one to being crushed (@ day 14) I don't want to lose another waiting for the rest to hatch.

Here is the history of the eggs, I put 2 under her on May 30 and 6 on June 1. So it may be a few days before more hatch. I don't know

 

[Puddle Foot Farm]

If you think it will be another couple days until the others hatch, I would take the one chick from her so she stays on the nest. My silkie hatched out two about two days before the rest of hers hatched, so we took the two away to keep her there. Give it a stuffed animal to cozy up with in a brooder and it'll be fine.

 

[Chickn chick 46]

Thank you for your replys. Heres what we did today, instead of moving the whole bunch out of the nest box we took out the divider between the 2 bottom boxes put some screen in front of the boxes and I put a waterer in side. Mama hen has more room now to spread herself out.

My nest boxes are accessable from the outside of the hen house so I can easily check on her and get to the water and the other hens can lay eggs in the upper boxes .


Should I offer chick feed tomorrow for the one that hatched today?

 

[SarahIrl]

I would have only chick feed in there. It will be fine for momma, and she shows them by eating and calling them at the same time, so chick will dig in too. Ditto for water - have a chick sized waterer and if you want an adult one on a block/ledge so momma can reach but the chicks can't. And yes, I'd put it in first thing tomorrow.