Touching the chick for the first time

[j and bs hens]

How long should you wait? And if there are still eggs in the incubator, when do we get the chick out?? Will they starve?

Newbie, sorry....

 

[cary 1973]

I am new to chicks but have read multiple times they can go up to 3 days without food and water that's why they can ship newborns

 

[j and bs hens]

Wow.... That's amazing. Resilient little things.

 

[sumi]

I usually take the chicks out of the incubator immediately. Sometimes I have to help a chick and they hatch out in my hands, which is pretty cool! Then I just put them under a heat lamp. They actually love physical contact as soon as they've recovered. Give them water when they start walking around, in a shallow dish! You can sprinkle some chick food in their living area for them to peck, though they won't be terribly hungry at first. More curious. But water is important. They will probably drink by themselves, but you can put a little food in the water, try and find something like a piece of cracked corn that'll float. They will peck it and find the water and start drinking. If that fails dip their beaks in the water.
Enjoy your babies!