Hi from Queensland, Australia

[fluffyduck]

Hello Everyone,

Although I have kept chickens for some time, there is always something more I would like to know. We currently have a rooster and 13 layers, but have just hatched a chick in an incubator (actually, 2 - but the first one out died). We usually just leave it all to our broody hens, so not much to do really. We have also, on occasions, bought day-old chicks. I guess I am just feeling a bit nervous about this little one, having lost the first one. It's been out now for about 6 or 7 hours and is not yet standing. Is this normal? How soon can I handle it?

Now that I've found this site, I know I will spend many hours gathering new information.

Cheers.

 

[jayjay]

Hello and welcome to BYC. I am sorry to hear you have lost a chick and i would be the same worrying about the other one. I have never incubated eggs myself so unfortunately i can't help you but you have certainly come to the right place and i am sure someone with more experience will help soon. Good luck with everything.

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC. You can give the chick a little sugar water using an eyedropper, a drop or two on the side of the beak should help.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

dawg53 is right! You might want to try using a eyedropper with some sugar water. Adding some Save A Chick might help to. It comes in small packages of three. One package is used per one gallon of water.


Greetings from Kentucky! So glad you joined us.

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

 

[sumi]

Hello and welcome to BYC

Sorry to hear about your chick, hope the remaining one's o.k. A little sugar water should help.

 

[Kevin565]

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, fluffyduck, and

! Hope your chick is okay! Glad you joined us.

 

[weimarmama]

&

from Alabama. Glad you joined us.

 

[fluffyduck]

Hi everyone and thank you for your replies. You will all be happy to know the little chick (a black one) is doing well so far. I picked it up this morning for a bit of a cuddle. Seems to be eating and drinking well.

This incubation was a bit of an experiment by my husband. He also has some muscovy duck eggs in there, but, of course they take much longer. I still prefer to do the natural way. There is nothing more calming and safisfying than watching a mother hen teaching her little ones to scratch and roost, etc. and listen to her "talking" to them. I just love it. If you've never experienced that, you don't know what you're missing.

Cheers everyone.