HELP! New to hatching eggs and concerned!

[HollandFarm]

That seems to be more common in just-hatched chicks (first few days) and less common later. Some chicks do that at first, then a few days later are acting just the same as any other chick.


Yes, he might have some kind of special needs. I don't think there is any way to be sure at this point.

If a chick has some kind of deformity or delay, that can cause them to have trouble hatching as well as trouble later. But some other chicks need help hatching and then go on to live normal healthy lives, and some chicks hatch without assistance but then prove to have issues later. So it's not very predictable.

Here’s a quick update on little Hatchy!! He’s doing great so far and is eating and drinking well no issues there! He is still wobbly while walking and doesn’t seem to go far before he lays down. That seems to be his only delay at the moment. I’m very hopeful that he will be just fine as long as I keep giving him extra special love and care! He loves to snuggle. My 5yr old has started calling him “Butter” since he looks like s perfect mix combination of our other two chicks, one yellow with brown/red markings and the other one a beautiful brown/red with dark brown markings, who hatched 3-4 days before Hatchy did. So his name is to be determined! Any name suggestions are very welcome for this special baby fluff!! First 3 pics are Hatchy and the rest are Hatchys two older siblings!

 

[LuciferRoo]

Here’s a quick update on little Hatchy!! He’s doing great so far and is eating and drinking well no issues there! He is still wobbly while walking and doesn’t seem to go far before he lays down. That seems to be his only delay at the moment. I’m very hopeful that he will be just fine as long as I keep giving him extra special love and care! He loves to snuggle. My 5yr old has started calling him “Butter” since he looks like s perfect mix combination of our other two chicks, one yellow with brown/red markings and the other one a beautiful brown/red with dark brown markings, who hatched 3-4 days before Hatchy did. So his name is to be determined! Any name suggestions are very welcome for this special baby fluff!! First 3 pics are Hatchy and the rest are Hatchys two older siblings!

Isn't it too early for naming?
What if it's a she?
Unless you pick a neutral name.
I named one of mine Peaches. At the time I thought it was a girl. I was wrong. Peaches is still OK for a roo. His brother's name is Browne.

 

[HollandFarm]

Isn't it too early for naming?
What if it's a she?
Unless you pick a neutral name.
I named one of mine Peaches. At the time I thought it was a girl. I was wrong. Peaches is still OK for a roo. His brother's name is Browne.

Aw so cute! I will definitely go neutral because we have no idea how to even try gendering a chick anyways! I think I just instinctually say he idk why haha but it’s very possible it’s a girl too. I feel like hatchy or butter can definitely work for both too. But was hoping to decide a more cute name

 

[NatJ]

we have no idea how to even try gendering a chick anyways!

How to tell:

--wait a few weeks, and see if a bright red comb pops up. That means male if it is any time between about 3 weeks and 3 months.

--listen for a crow (starts anywhere between about 6 weeks and 6 months)

--wait until about 12-20 weeks (3-5 months), and look for male saddle feathers (narrow, long feathers that grow on the back and hang down to both sides.)

--look for an egg (4-8 months)

Some males are obvious very early, but most females are just "probably not male" until they start to lay eggs. The older they are without looking male, the more likely that they are females.

There are some specific color patterns that are male-only or female-only, but most colorings can happen in both males and females. For now I can't say what coloring your chicks will have when they grow up.

 

[HollandFarm]

How to tell:

--wait a few weeks, and see if a bright red comb pops up. That means male if it is any time between about 3 weeks and 3 months.

--listen for a crow (starts anywhere between about 6 weeks and 6 months)

--wait until about 12-20 weeks (3-5 months), and look for male saddle feathers (narrow, long feathers that grow on the back and hang down to both sides.)

--look for an egg (4-8 months)

Some males are obvious very early, but most females are just "probably not male" until they start to lay eggs. The older they are without looking male, the more likely that they are females.

There are some specific color patterns that are male-only or female-only, but most colorings can happen in both males and females. For now I can't say what coloring your chicks will have when they grow up.

Oh awesome info! Thank you so much for all your continued help throughout my hatching journey! Little Hatchy wouldn’t even be here without the help of you guys and I truly mean that because I was in full panic mode and had no clue what I was doing until I got into and help here on how to help him hatch safely. I’ll be forever grateful. I know there’s sooo many hatcheries and farms out there who just hatch and sell hatch and sell but we just aren’t that type of farm here. We genuinely love every single one of our animals and care for them like family. I lost a chick yesterday because the egg shell got severely cracked by dropping out of the carton it was in for me to candle it to check progress. Membrane was fully intact but I suspected an internal rupture. I posted another thread on here for help and got lots of great support and suggestions but once I realized there was no movement I just sat and cried and cried because it was all my fault. it has a sibling egg set to hatch same time that thank god did not get cracked at all but the bad part is I have no idea the hatch date. I’m worried that maybe it also has internal trauma that I just can’t see even without a cracked shell it’s possible I think. So I candled it today and it’s already hard to see through these olive eggs as it is. Here’s pictures of all I could make out inside the egg. My eyes just could not focus long enough in the pitch black to make out any movement so idk if it’s okay or not. Does this look normal?? The other side of the egg was just completely black so I’m guessing that’s where chick is but obviously couldn’t see any movement that way.

 

[HollandFarm]

How to tell:

--wait a few weeks, and see if a bright red comb pops up. That means male if it is any time between about 3 weeks and 3 months.

--listen for a crow (starts anywhere between about 6 weeks and 6 months)

--wait until about 12-20 weeks (3-5 months), and look for male saddle feathers (narrow, long feathers that grow on the back and hang down to both sides.)

--look for an egg (4-8 months)

Some males are obvious very early, but most females are just "probably not male" until they start to lay eggs. The older they are without looking male, the more likely that they are females.

There are some specific color patterns that are male-only or female-only, but most colorings can happen in both males and females. For now I can't say what coloring your chicks will have when they grow up.

** POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING** ** GRAPHIC PICTURES ATTACHED BELOW!!**

I also decided to open the severely cracked egg after 24hrs once I realized there’s no movement Just to check what stage the chick was at so maybe I can get a better idea of when the sibling egg will be hatching if it’s okay. Here is what the deceased chick looked like from the cracked egg. It had white legs and feet and a white beak. Based off of this picture, do you have any clue how many more days it would’ve been until it would have hatched?

 

[NatJ]

** POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING** ** GRAPHIC PICTURES ATTACHED BELOW!!**

I also decided to open the severely cracked egg after 24hrs once I realized there’s no movement Just to check what stage the chick was at so maybe I can get a better idea of when the sibling egg will be hatching if it’s okay. Here is what the deceased chick looked like from the cracked egg. It had white legs and feet and a white beak. Based off of this picture, do you have any clue how many more days it would’ve been until it would have hatched?

I would say at least 1 or 2 more days, because it would need to absorb all that yolk.
Possibly longer, because I don't know how soon chicks grow feathers.

Searching with google turned up this page with pictures of various stages of development:
https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/embryonic-development-day-by-day
Going by those pictures, I would say yours was between 15 and 19 days, with hatching expected on day 21. I think it looks more like the later pictures (day 18-19) than the earlier ones (day 15-17), but I really don't know for sure.

 

[Ocho 8 Farm]

Here’s a quick update on little Hatchy!! He’s doing great so far and is eating and drinking well no issues there! He is still wobbly while walking and doesn’t seem to go far before he lays down. That seems to be his only delay at the moment. I’m very hopeful that he will be just fine as long as I keep giving him extra special love and care! He loves to snuggle. My 5yr old has started calling him “Butter” since he looks like s perfect mix combination of our other two chicks, one yellow with brown/red markings and the other one a beautiful brown/red with dark brown markings, who hatched 3-4 days before Hatchy did. So his name is to be determined! Any name suggestions are very welcome for this special baby fluff!! First 3 pics are Hatchy and the rest are Hatchys two older siblings!

How about Fozzy for a name ? He looks kinda like fozzy bear from the muppets. Fozzy can be male or female I think