My very first chick ever just hatched!

[Kelownachickens]

I am new at this! My first chick just hatched and is chirping its little heart out! What is the best thing to do? Leave it in there untill it's dry then move to heatlamp? Or wait until a few more hatch? What is the best food for their first ever meal? Thanks!

 

[horsetails16]

Congratulations!

I've never hatched any chicks so I'm no help, sorry! But it must be so exciting, good luck with them!

 

[Indigosands]

I'm going thru my first hatch right now, what ever you do, do NOT open the incubator. Baby will be just fine without food or water for a couple days. That's what the egg yolk is for. Wait for someone more experienced to come along to advise you, but from what I have read you do not want to open the incubator and cause a sudden decrease in humidity if there are more to arrive. Good luck and congratulations!

 

[tadpole98]

Dont open the incubator till its nice and fluffy. even then i would wait till you have a few more to put in the brooder with it.

if you open the incubator the eggs might get shrinkwrapped and WILL NOT HATCH
good luck!! I know how exciting it is for the new fluffies <3

 

[kizanne]

You want him to fluff and you don't want to open the bator while people are hatching.

 

[tadpole98]

You want him to fluff and you don't want to open the bator while people are hatching.

Peeps you mean?

 

[bird sitter]

Thats good that hes peepin'! Make sure your brooder or what ever you decide to put him in is heated up and warm with a heat lamp then when he is nice and fluffy put em on in! Then sprinkle some starter chick feed on the box, hay, etc in front of him and get a spoon and fill with some water and dip his beak in it till he gets active! Good Luck! Keep us updated!

 

[Kelownachickens]

I have not opened it! Thank you for your suggestions! I hope there are a few more tomorrow, I will write more then...

 

[maryhysong]

Congrats! Waiting for my second hatch now. Like they said wait until there are more and they are dry and fluffy, have their brooder box warmed up and ready to go before you pull them out of the 'bator. They may not really eat and drink for a couple days, but they still have part of their egg yolk in their bellies to tide them over. Just make sure by day three or four that they are all eating and drinking.

 

[SarniaTricia]

Congrats on your first hatch....... Lets just say every hatch is exciting... So you have the same feeling every time... Very addictive.

A. The chick will be fine for about 2 days ... They are still obsorbing the egg yolk and they will be fine... Already was mentioned...
B. please do not open the bator...... If you open it before the chicks have all hatched you take a chance that the membrane on the inside of the egg shell dries attached to the baby and it can't get out and stops breathing.
C. Do not HELP..... If they do not get out, they are not ment to and believe me ... It is for the best!
D. Like was mentioned have the brooder warm, have chick crumb on hand and fresh water in a small chick waterer. (They can drown in a deep water dish!)

If you HAVE to remove a fluffy chick... I have put the bator in the bathroom and steamedit up, removed the chick. That seemed to help prevent the shrink wrap.

My experience is that you last hatcher will be MAX 3days after the first. The very last hatcher, usually doesn't survive... Seems to be too much bacteria from the gunk of the rest of the siblings hatching...

Good luck
My current batch will hatch nov 28th
Patricia