Staggered hatch, I'm confused and need advice about lots of things!

[Finnie]

Wish me (and Sadie) luck!

Good luck!
They are adorable

 

[Peppercorngal]

Here's an update. Last night a little after 6pm I took the 6 hatched chicks and put them under Sadie while the coop was pretty dark. She sat still for a minute but realized that some living moving things were under her. She started to pull them out and attack them with her beak. So I took them away and for the moment are back in the house. Late last nite the 7th chick hatched. The brooder outside is ready and now that they are eating and drinking, they will go out tomorrow morning. I have 4 fathered by my White Jersey Giant, Harvey. They are the black and one grey chick. 3 chicks were fathered by my Amerucana/Wellsummer mix, Fowler and they are yellow. Cute little turds ain't they? There are 4 left in the incubator due to hatch Tuesday. So far everyone is alive.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Update. Yesterday the last of the eggs hatched. Monday two hatched and last night one of those two drowned. I was shocked, that has never happened to me before. I have the recommended "baby" waterer and didn't know that could occur. I'm sad because this chick had a black stripe on it's back and would have been lovely. As soon as yesterday's chick is obviously eating and drinking I'll move them to the outside brooder. I have nine, out of 15 eggs. Four were not fertile. One died in the shell very late in the process, somehow the shell was cracked by the hatching of the others? I don't know and didn't see it until much later. One drowned and the rest seem to be doing well.

 

[NatJ]

Glad to hear that most of them are doing well!

last night one of those two drowned. I was shocked, that has never happened to me before. I have the recommended "baby" waterer and didn't know that could occur.

It can help to put marbles in the water for the first few days, until they're less clumsy. They can stick their little beaks into the water between the marbles to get a drink, but cannot get the rest of them in to drown or get soaking wet.

Marbles in the water makes it a real nuisance to dump and refill--have to collect all the marbles and put them back in. But I think the marbles are worth the fuss for the first 3 days or so, because they're so clumsy and careless right at first.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I've actually never had a huge problem with chicks drowning (i also dont give them water until theyre pretty aware of their surrpundings). But I would do the marbles or smooth rocks especially since you've already had an accident.