Our first baby hatched today. I had to assist because it was going on 48 hours with very little progress. He only lived about a hour. My step daughter said it is because I held him when I gave him water because supposedly the lady at the feed store told my husband if you handle baby chicks they will die. Someone else told me that is not true. So what are the basics and how can I keep the mortality rate down when the others hatch?
No. Handling a baby chick will not kill it. The fact that the chick struggled for so long to hatch is what killed it. If you ever need to intervene again, you should do only the very minimum to get the head exposed to outside air and let the chick do the rest. Probably what that lady meant was that you shouldn't peel the entire egg and pull the chick out. Chicks need to do the work themselves.
Here is a very detailed guide if you ever find yourself with a chick struggling to get out of an egg. I did have to help 2 out - incubator issue caused it- they both lived and are now about to start laying-- used the information in the link below. =) It is important to read the WHOLE thing-- I would read it before the others pip. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching
