When do I need to start giving chicks water...

[RiverMan420]

food, and if there are other eggs yet to hatch, do I keep incubator at 95 degrees or 99-100? Thank you

 

[Opa]

I would advise that you NOT open the incubator or change any setting as long as you have unhatched eggs. The chicks will survive quite well for 2 days after hatching without anything. Opening the incubator can stop the other eggs from hatching. I would wait until the end of the 23rd day before doing anything. I mix a little Poultry Drench with water and then with a syringe without a needle I place a couple of drops of water on each chicks beak as I take them out to put in brooder. I watch to insure that the have actually swallowed a couple of drops before going to the next chick. Pedialyte can be used in lieu of Poultry Drench. I feel that adding the extra electolytes gives them an added boost. Once they are in the brooder they are given chick starter and the waterer is filled with fortified water for the first filling.

If there are any remaining eggs I close the incubator back up and give them 2 more days before discarding.

Lots of folks start taking chicks out of the incubator as soon as they hatch and claim they have never had a problem and the folks that do have problems never post telling about it. They think that the chicks will injure each other or break eggs. The chirping of chicks can actually encourage the unhatched.

Check poultry raising sources where actual poultry experts give advice rather than forums and they all state the same thing. Leave them alone. Best wishes for a successful hatch.

 

[MuckyPuppy]

I removed my first five chicks when one of them started dying in the incubator (he didn't make it). The other chicks that had pipped shrink wrapped and I had to help them. Luckily, except the dead chick, they all lived (8). With this next batch unless something like a dying/dead chick happens again, I'm going to leave everything alone because I have read that chicks have everything that they need for two - three days. I don't know about the temp.

 

[Opa]

With regard to temperature. Obviously, you are going to leave the incubator at its set temperature of 99.7 Once all the chicks have hatched, or the 23rd day has past and the chicks have been placed in a brooder you will want the temperature to be at 95. Then each week reduce the temperature by 5 degrees each week until the chicks are fully feathered.