Increase likelyhood of living chicks?

[Ray87]

I am about to incubate shipped eggs. I have done a lot of studying on how to increase hatch rates on shipped eggs. Wondering if there is anything I can do once hatched to make the best healthiest chick's less likely to perish? Water additives? Best feed? Anything I should know?

 

[nuthatched]

Having a calibrated incubator really helps, both temperature in humidity. Not using 'yellow'bators' you find on amazon, use a quality one.
Shipped eggs can die even with vetern hatchers, have you ever incubated before?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...gs-no-problem.1046313/page-5385#post-16540512

 

[My Bagurks]

Have a brooder ready already at temperature. They can hang out in the incubator for a while until they are dry and moving around.
I have put all my chicks, hatched and bought on Tucker milling chick starter. I’ve had 50 or more chicks at several different times and haven’t lost one yet. Have water and food ready.
Hopefully you have a decent sized brooder with a warm side and a (not as warm side) so the chicks have room to find their perfect temperature.
There are electrolyte packs you can get for chicks. I wouldn’t say it’s necessary but everything helps. Mix it Up with some water and give that to them.
What is your brooder setup?
I have used medicated and non medicated chick starter. It’s up to you to decide what your comfortable with and what the chickens will be raised for.

 

[My Bagurks]

Have a brooder ready already at temperature. They can hang out in the incubator for a while until they are dry and moving around.
I have put all my chicks, hatched and bought on Tucker milling chick starter. I’ve had 50 or more chicks at several different times and haven’t lost one yet. Have water and food ready.
Hopefully you have a decent sized brooder with a warm side and a (not as warm side) so the chicks have room to find their perfect temperature.
There are electrolyte packs you can get for chicks. I wouldn’t say it’s necessary but everything helps. Mix it Up with some water and give that to them.
What is your brooder setup?
I have used medicated and non medicated chick starter. It’s up to you to decide what your comfortable with and what the chickens will be raised for.

You also want to make sure to avoid pasty butt. Keep their butts clean. And I have handled every chick and dipped the tips of their beaks in water (not continuously) until I saw them take a drink. Then sit them in front of the water and it’d be good to see them take a drink on their own just so you know they will drink later.

 

[Ray87]

Having a calibrated incubator really helps, both temperature in humidity. Not using 'yellow'bators' you find on amazon, use a quality one.
Shipped eggs can die even with vetern hatchers, have you ever incubated before?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...gs-no-problem.1046313/page-5385#post-16540512

I have incubated before. Never shipped eggs. I currently have 40 eggs in and out of those only two didn't grow. They never started growing but were out of a batch I got that had 17 hens and 1 rooster so we were expecting a few non fertilized. Everything else is growing very nicely. Like I said, I will be new to hatching shipped eggs but have read all the articles provided to me.

 

[Ray87]

Have a brooder ready already at temperature. They can hang out in the incubator for a while until they are dry and moving around.
I have put all my chicks, hatched and bought on Tucker milling chick starter. I’ve had 50 or more chicks at several different times and haven’t lost one yet. Have water and food ready.
Hopefully you have a decent sized brooder with a warm side and a (not as warm side) so the chicks have room to find their perfect temperature.
There are electrolyte packs you can get for chicks. I wouldn’t say it’s necessary but everything helps. Mix it Up with some water and give that to them.
What is your brooder setup?
I have used medicated and non medicated chick starter. It’s up to you to decide what your comfortable with and what the chickens will be raised for.

I planned on what you said, a box with heat where they have a side they can get away from the heat a bit more. What is the temp under the heat lamp we are wanting?

 

[NatJ]

And I have handled every chick and dipped the tips of their beaks in water (not continuously) until I saw them take a drink. Then sit them in front of the water and it’d be good to see them take a drink on their own just so you know they will drink later.

I like to put glass marbles in the water, which attracts the chicks to peck it.
Then I don't bother to pick up chicks and dip their beaks, which saves stress on them and me.

Dipping beaks is not much trouble for just a few chicks, but takes more time with large numbers. But it is also less needed if you have large numbers of chicks, because once a few figure it out, the rest copy them.