Our first time hatching....and it has to be odd! HELP!

[CountryBumpkin]

We have had two hens sitting on eggs. I went out to the coop this morning and saw that one of our hens had left her next. Inside was a little chick and two eggs. The chick wasn't moving at all and was very cold so I thought it was dead. When I turned one of the eggs to look at it, it started to peep at me! Sure enough there was a little hole with a beak poking out!

We brought both the little chick, and the eggs into the house and added them to the incubator where we also have eggs (though they are about 2 weeks behind). As they are warming, the chick in the egg is getting more active but the most exciting is that our little chick started breathing again and is now kicking around, peeping, and looks like it's going to be ok!

The questions I have are:
1) While the chick has been peeping, scooting, and has even opened it's eyes a few times, it's not gotten to it's feet, or even been steady. It's still laying on it's side. How long before it should be up and moving? I'm afraid that the time it was so cold could have damaged it.
2) As I stated, the eggs in our incubator are still 2 weeks behind these ones. They haven't been turned since last night. I really don't want to open the incubator and lose all of that heat that these hatching ones need. How long can those go without being turned and still be ok?

 

[walkswithdog]

Go ahead and turn them, they need it. You won't lose all the heat and you don't want to jeopardize the larger group for the ones you're saving. Hens shift. It's okay.

You've learned a really valuable lesson. Don't give up on a "cold dead looking" chick until it's been warmed up and dried.

The little hatched one looks VERY newly hatched and could take several hours to get it's legs. Don't worry too much if it takes awhile.

S... happens. That's why I always have one bator plugged in even if I'm not hatching... The one rule of livestock is: Be prepared. Because something always happens. I just wish I could always have a broody plugged in when the power goes out...

 

[CountryBumpkin]

Thank you! The second peeper just busted through his shell! I can't believe how quickly it was on it's feet and moving around compared to the little brown one! That poor thing took about 6.5 hours, it's just now really able to stay on it's feet.

Next question: they are moving all over, smacking into the other eggs and causing quite a ruckus. Should we move them to a box with a heat lamp right away to protect those other eggs, or do we need to wait until they are completely dry and fluffy first?

 

[lux_interior]

I had to help a chick hatch out of it's shell two nights ago, and when I got it's shell off and laid it back down in the incubator, it looked just like yours in the pic and didnt get up for like 10 hours... it just stayed there peeping occasionally... but then it after all those hours it finally tried to stand! And then it started moving more and more and now it's doing well and it's in a brooder with the other chick. Yours will do fine, it just needs a LOT of rest

 

[CountryBumpkin]

We moved them under the lamp and they are both doing great! The little black one is so cute with a white neck, white on top of it's head, and white wingtips. Our children have named it Pepper

 

[CountryBumpkin]

Quote:
I was SO shocked to see how long it took that little guy to recover from it's cold start! You're right though, it's doing super! We're all so excited here! Now, I hope some of the other eggs under the second hen start hatching soon!!

We've spent almost all day watching these peeps, then running to the coop to check on momma hen!! This could be really addicting couldn't it?!

 

[Mahonri]

Addicting?

Oh, you have no idea.