How old to give 1st food/water?

[bearz]

I have a 1 day old silkie. She's still in the hatcher but I'm wondering when I feed/water her.

 

[LinckHillPoultry]

I would get her out, now.
And then when she is in her brooder dip her beak in both her food and her water so she knows.

 

[Eggseronious]

If she has dried off U could take her out now. I just sprinkle a bit of feed on a paper towel and they start pecking around and find it, as for water they usually find it too.

 

[bearz]

Thanks! I put a little dish of food and water in there and she seems perfectly happy. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to do this. I have about 24 or so eggs that will hatch on Monday and I have 26 week old chicks in the warmer so I'm not quite sure where to put her. I'll probably leave her in the hatcher for another day or so and then transfer her to a separate warmer. She's a little silkie and I have a hen with a 3 or so week old chick so I'm thinking maybe the hen will take her. Might as well give it a try...put the little one in there and see what mama and the other baby do.

 

[chilling in muscadine]

I would make sure the water isn't very deep. The chick could get into trouble. I haven't had any luck getting my hen's to take other chick's. Maybe you will have better luck. PEACE

 

[therealsilkiechick]

if ur baby was the same age she would probably adopt it but more than likely it will be an outsider to the older chicks and be picked on or pushed out and starved or stomped. u should seperate her till the others hatch and give her, her own brooder till the new ones can join her.

babies don't need to be in the hatcher once they r fully fluffed, they should move to the brooder asap with a heat lamp once they r up and about, waterer w/ marbles or rocks(to keep from drwning) and feed. they can go without till their yolk sac is absorbed as many as 3 days but mine always eat right away or first 24 hours after hatch. i use a 1 qt canning jar waterer with a quail base which don't need marbles or a chick base which does. my feeders r long plastic chick feeders with lids to keep them out or flip over 1qt canning jars with metal or plastic feed lids.
hope that helps,
silkie

 

[robinaggie]

You need to set up another brooder. It can be a cardboard box with a heat lamp. You can find a thread on brooders somewhere on BYC. Try this link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6233

Good luck.

 

[LuannKeller]

In my brooder I mix chicks of older and younger within a week or so of hatching. I don't mix such an age difference outside because of bad experiences. The mother sits tight while the newborns dry and get on their feet but after 2 or 3 days she likes to have them on the move, so a newborn would suffer exhaustion if not worse.

I use a Tractor Supply Giant incubator for my brooder with papertowels on the wire for the first 3-10 days, then they are moved to a box or bin. The Giant incubator is quiet and warm. I used parakeet waterers that stand on the floor in the brooder ( they just fit) and peanut butter jar lids for the food. I never dip their beak in water since it can force a drink when they don't need it and aren't ready for it. Mine always find the water and I have yet to lose a chick in the Giant incubator/brooder.

I incubate in a RCom incubator but move them as soon as they hatch to the Giant. Keeps my incubator clean and they love to have other chicks to snuggle with.

I would keep your silkie baby in your warm brooder - alone - and when your Monday hatch comes along they will be great company for her. When you are dealing with a single chick, better to have them be the biggest rather than the littlest.