March Hatch-A-Long

[MeyerRay]

Here she is falling asleep under the lamp on the food with her head falling into the water so her beak is getting wet. I don't think she can get back under the titan plastic brooder thingy because she slips. I'm thinking of leaving her under the lamp on the food so she can get to the water and food, will this be warm enough or should i get her under the brooder thingy?

 

[Raptorchick]

Be careful she doesn't get water in her nose, it's never happened to me but I've heard chicks can drown that way.
They dont usually eat or drink until about 48hours after, and they wont actually neeeed food or water for 72 hours. The first three days they live off the absorbed yoke sac, so the mama bird can finish hatching the rest. So, if shes 4 hours old, personally I would have left her in the incubator till she was more fluffy she will sleep aLOT the next few hours, hatching is hard work. I would move the food/water to the edge of the heat-lamp circle, not in the middle, cuz they will sleep wherever it is warmest. She is very cute

 

[MeyerRay]

Be careful she doesn't get water in her nose, it's never happened to me but I've heard chicks can drown that way.
They dont usually eat or drink until about 48hours after, and they wont actually neeeed food or water for 72 hours. The first three days they live off the absorbed yoke sac, so the mama bird can finish hatching the rest. So, if shes 4 hours old, personally I would have left her in the incubator till she was more fluffy she will sleep aLOT the next few hours, hatching is hard work. I would move the food/water to the edge of the heat-lamp circle, not in the middle, cuz they will sleep wherever it is warmest. She is very cute

Thank you! I moved the food and water out of the heat circle, and she is sleeping under the lamp now. Before you replied we gave her a few drops of water with a syringe, but won't do that again.
Last time we had chicks they had a mom so we didn't worry about any of this!
I am very much reassured that they can hang in the incubator for a while because they are all "due" tomorrow, the early bird came today, two more have been pipping and have made small holes in their shells, so they'll definitely be here tomorrow,and we are both getting home lateish from work. Thanks again!

 

[Nekopan]

Welp, day 23 and only two hatched. I candled the rest and don’t see any movement or internal pips, but I put them back in just in case.

Both chicks pipped on day 20, and the first one was fully unzipped early morning day 21. The other one got stuck at some point, I probably waited too long to assist but I helped her out day 22. She has serious curled toes and possibly splayed legs? I waited 24 hours before taping her feet. Today she seems really lethargic, so I’m worried. I don’t have any kind of chick supplements, so I dissolved some electrolyte powder and half a B vitamin in water and gave it to her on a q-tip. She seems to have perked up a little, but she is constantly peeping.

The other one is doing great, he’s feisty and curious.

 

[Raptorchick]

Going to work is SO hard with pippers at home, I have day 21 requested off but apparently the peepers have a different agenda maybe it's good to stop obsessing for a few hours lols... I wish I had cameras at home

 

[Stick Chicken]

View attachment 1698207 she is a couple hours old, bionda piemontese (piedmont blond)
2 more are hatching
Better pictures later!!

Congratulations!

 

[Stick Chicken]

Welp, day 23 and only two hatched. I candled the rest and don’t see any movement or internal pips, but I put them back in just in case.

Both chicks pipped on day 20, and the first one was fully unzipped early morning day 21. The other one got stuck at some point, I probably waited too long to assist but I helped her out day 22. She has serious curled toes and possibly splayed legs? I waited 24 hours before taping her feet. Today she seems really lethargic, so I’m worried. I don’t have any kind of chick supplements, so I dissolved some electrolyte powder and half a B vitamin in water and gave it to her on a q-tip. She seems to have perked up a little, but she is constantly peeping.

The other one is doing great, he’s feisty and curious.

Congratulations on the chicks, but I would be worried about the one with the curled toes. It could be a genetic disorder that could affect any birds related. You may be able to help it with taping the legs, but no guarantee. However, if it doesn't have the strength or energy to live, it's not going to live.

I can't really say if vitamins or supplements will help, but someone else might. Either way, at least you have one healthy chick and that's something to be thankful about.

 

[Raptorchick]

Omygosh, I whistled and the pipper cheeped back at me !! Still no change tho, 16 hours in.... when do you start to worry? After the 24th hour? I'm trying to request off work, this is making me crazy lol.....

 

[Chicksnmind]

While turning eggs I candled about 6. First 3 I candled were from my own chickens. I know they are only on day 2 so still too early to see anything. The other three were shipped eggs and two had veins !

I’m thinking those two were the ones I took from the nest that my broody gave up on (they would be on day 3). I took three of them from it and unfortunately didn’t mark them when I stuck them in the incubator with the other 12. The 3rd egg still didn’t show any veins but that might because it’s on day 2 .

 

[Raptorchick]

Congratulations on the chicks, but I would be worried about the one with the curled toes. It could be a genetic disorder that could affect any birds related. You may be able to help it with taping the legs, but no guarantee. However, if it doesn't have the strength or energy to live, it's not going to live.

I can't really say if vitamins or supplements will help, but someone else might. Either way, at least you have one healthy chick and that's something to be thankful about.

A few months ago I assisted a chick, and she wouldn't stop kicking her face, she wouldnt stand, and her toes were curled. I taped a small bit of flat cardboard to her so she couldn't kick, and held her on my palm like she was standing. It took probably 6 hours, and I gave her drops of electrolyte infused water, she was fully able to stand after 12 hours. However she was a very weak hen. Her colors were never vibrant, and she was forever clumsy, losing her balance randomly. So, I cant say that helping her hatch was a good idea, but it did give her a good life. I sold her at four months old, definitely would never use her for breeding. Good luck to the little one