Touching chicks after hatch

[FloorCandy]

I have 28 eggs in the incubator, I have 6 spotted and 22 celadon eggs. I want to band the ones from spotted shells so I know which they are so I won’t use any Roos from them to breed the next generation as they have the lowest probability of carrying 2 celadon genes. How soon can I touch the chicks? Can I slip them out as they hatch real fast and slip a band on before they start running around and getting mixed up? Is there a faster or easier way to mark them until I can hold them when they dry off like put a drop of food coloring on their back?
These are my first chicks of any type, so I think my brain isn’t even prepared for the reality of how small they will be, I’m concerned with hurting them or making them sick or cold. I bought little rubber bands that look like orthodontists bands, I got the size for newborn quail and adult quail, and they both look pretty small and might take a minute or so to put on with my big fingers haha.

 

[Kale the Quail]

sorry, i've never banded my chicks but when i hatch eggs i usually touch them when i put them into the brooder. @Kiki or @007Sean ?

 

[BESSIE THE QUAIL]

what kind are they? tuxedo? pharoh? i usually memorize a distinguishing like matted back feathers, or a grumpy fce pattern.

 

[FloorCandy]

They are a celadon mix so they could be anything. There’s so many I’m worried I’ll memorize something, and then there will be more than one to look that way haha. Plus I’ve never seen chicks before so I worry I won’t be able to identify odd features.

 

[BESSIE THE QUAIL]

i know! you can keep the ones that come out of the spotted eggs in separate brooder

 

[K0k0shka]

I had to keep two sets of chicks separate in the same incubator, too. What I did was I put a wire basket in the incubator with one set of eggs in it. They stayed contained as they hatched. I used one of those basket shelf things for holding shampoo bottles and such in the bathroom. Worked out fine. Then I moved the chicks out as they dried and fluffed up, and before they were strong enough to try to climb out.

 

[FloorCandy]

i know! you can keep the ones that come out of the spotted eggs in separate brooder

I only have 1 heat plate. TBH I should have thought ahead of time and bought one of the super cheap incubators and moved them to be alone at lockdown, or planned a separate brooder, but now it’s too late for me to order more of anything. It’s now day 17. That idea would have even been possible before corona virus when I could just go to the store anytime for more supplies. I thought I had planned in advance for everything I need, but I hadn’t really considered the mechanics of banding them.

 

[Nabiki]

You can touch them pretty much immediately as long as you're careful. Be careful with banding them, though. They grow really fast, so what fits today might not two days from now.

 

[FloorCandy]

I had to keep two sets of chicks separate in the same incubator, too. What I did was I put a wire basket in the incubator with one set of eggs in it. They stayed contained as they hatched. I used one of those basket shelf things for holding shampoo bottles and such in the bathroom. Worked out fine. Then I moved the chicks out as they dried and fluffed up, and before they were strong enough to try to climb out.

Great idea! I took the bowl my rice cooker has to steam veggies, it has holes and slits in it, and I put them in there, and put it inside the incubator. I hope that does it
They rolled a bit when I moved it inside, I tried to put them back with the same side facing up, I hope they’ll be ok. As I moved some of the neighbors to make room I felt some definite movement in 1!

 

[FloorCandy]

You can touch them pretty much immediately as long as you're careful. Be careful with banding them, though. They grow really fast, so what fits today might not two days from now.

Ok thanks, I bought both sizes for quail so I’ll keep an eye out. Luckily they’re just rubber so I can clip them off easily.