New chick mother

[Kathrynmodra]

I'm a new chick mother, we had 3 little chicks hatch in incubator about 24 hits ago. When they fluffed up nicely I took them out and put them in the brooder.
My question is they seem so small and wobbly, I'm worried they won't know how to eat or drink. I dipped their beaks in water, and I put crumbles on the ground. They don't seem interested in either. So i softened some crumbles in water and they still are not interested. How can I show them how to eat/ drink? Is this instinctive for them?

I'm very nervous as the youngest chicks I have had are 2-3 weeks. So these tiny things are new to me.

 

[Kathrynmodra]

**should say 24hours ago

 

[buttercup95]

Okay so chicks that just hatch don't need to eat for a day or two. They survive off of yolk from the egg still in their stomach.

 

[buttercup95]

I wanted to post that as quick as possible to alleviate your worries. Also eating is usually instinctive to chickens. I mean look at hatchery birds they don't show ALL of those how to eat and drink. Also think about when hatcheries ship birds they haven't eaten during the shipping period at all and aren't hungry because of their yolk.

edit-giving them the softened chick food was a good idea I do that when I hatch chicks from the incubator all the time. I also give them a small pinch of sugar in a jar lid to have them drink, I don't advise doing it repetitively as it can cause health problems in excess and I only use it if they haven't drank anything at all so it's like emergency use only.

 

[Kathrynmodra]

Thank you for your quick reply!

I'm so pleased to hear that. I was thinking it must have been instinctive because they knew how to get out of the egg without anyone showing them. Then my husband said they don't know what to do because the mother hen is supposed to show them. I've seen that in my aunties chicks, following the mother around doing what she does. So I was getting really worried! My kids watched these ones enter the world so I really want everything to be ok.

Thanks again I feel better now. Hopefully in 2-3 days I can see them trying to eat. And thanks for the tip about the sugar, ill try that too