When does baby start to eat/drink?

[ozu]

Our first (and only) baby hatched yesterday around 5:00pm !!! I have not seen momma and baby get up to eat or drink yet since then. I'd held food out for momma and she's eaten some vigorously but as far as I know I have not seen her take the baby to the food to eat or water to drink. Should I be worried? At what time should I be worried?

The baby still seems a bit shaky on its feet, but seems healthy and unwilling to leave momma. Should we be sticking a heat lamp in there to encourage them? I have heard that doesn't have to be done... should I be putting food in the nesting box? Their space isn't very large and momma can see food and water from the box.

Sorry this is our first time and I'm very antsy and a little worried since Gracey has never been a mommy before! Any tips and information is helpful!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Just before they hatch, chicks absorb the yolk. They can live for three days or more on that without any food or water. That’s why they can be shipped through the mail and not starve to death or die of dehydration. They will often eat and drink earlier and it sure doesn’t hurt them, but they don’t need to.

Hens have ben hatching chicks without the aid of humans on small farms for thousands of years, long before heat lamps were invented. The hen provides all the heat the chicks require.

You will see posts form people on here that do all kinds of things, risk fouling a nest with food or water and risk burning the hen and chicks to death by starting a fire with a heat lamp. And it is all so unnecessary. I understand this is your first time and you are concerned, but your best chance for success is to let the broody handle all of it. When she knows it’s time, she will take the chicks to the food and water you have correctly provided. Watching a broody with chicks is fascinating, but please, just watch.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Just before they hatch, chicks absorb the yolk. They can live for three days or more on that without any food or water. That’s why they can be shipped through the mail and not starve to death or die of dehydration. They will often eat and drink earlier and it sure doesn’t hurt them, but they don’t need to.

Hens have ben hatching chicks without the aid of humans on small farms for thousands of years, long before heat lamps were invented. The hen provides all the heat the chicks require.

You will see posts form people on here that do all kinds of things, risk fouling a nest with food or water and risk burning the hen and chicks to death by starting a fire with a heat lamp. And it is all so unnecessary. I understand this is your first time and you are concerned, but your best chance for success is to let the broody handle all of it. When she knows it’s time, she will take the chicks to the food and water you have correctly provided. Watching a broody with chicks is fascinating, but please, just watch.

Excellent response there - I am of the "less is more" camp - let mama be mama, she knows what to do.

 

[ozu]

Just before they hatch, chicks absorb the yolk. They can live for three days or more on that without any food or water. That’s why they can be shipped through the mail and not starve to death or die of dehydration. They will often eat and drink earlier and it sure doesn’t hurt them, but they don’t need to.

Hens have ben hatching chicks without the aid of humans on small farms for thousands of years, long before heat lamps were invented. The hen provides all the heat the chicks require.

You will see posts form people on here that do all kinds of things, risk fouling a nest with food or water and risk burning the hen and chicks to death by starting a fire with a heat lamp. And it is all so unnecessary. I understand this is your first time and you are concerned, but your best chance for success is to let the broody handle all of it. When she knows it’s time, she will take the chicks to the food and water you have correctly provided. Watching a broody with chicks is fascinating, but please, just watch.

Thank you very much!!! I appreciate the information, I did not know they could be fine for three days without food and water, so now I'm a lot less worried. :- )) I wasn't able to find information on that (everything that kept coming up is "when can chicks have treats"!) And understandable about the heat lamp! I figured I did not need to, but I wanted to make sure! I've been reading that the babies are even fine in the winter with a broody hen, I think that's so cool, but I'm glad it's almost summer though! Makes me a bit less worried LOL (I tend to worry a lot!) I thought I knew enough, but I'm learning more things as we go! We would like to hatch more babies later so it's so nice to learn all of this now!