Raising Hatched Chicks

Chickens can hatch artificially in an incubator. In the moment after the hatching you may want to get them out. That is not a wise thing to do. They must stay in that incubator for at least two or three days.

Give time bit of time to adjust to the new environment and realize what is happening to them. Also, the chickens, pheasants and the quails can live for about three whole days without food or water.

Another interesting thing about egg hatching is that when the chicken is inside the egg, a few days before he comes out, the yolk gets drawn to the navel. Then it travels through the chicken’s stomach. This yolk will be used by the baby chicken to survive in the first days after hatching.  The yolk is nourishment enough for him to gain a bit of strength and even become active. He will want to go and search for water and food. In the first couple of days there will be no gaining weight but only becoming active and ready to explore.

Even if you observe that the chicken is interested in the water drops or another chicken’s toes. This means that he is just curious and not hungry. Curiosity is part of nature and it will help them develop and adapt. In the first days, the baby chickens will explore and experiment.

Take the hatchlings out of the incubator after a day. Don’t worry if you left them a bit more in the incubator, let’s say 48 hours. It is all right.

After the babies have hatched, there are three things you should do: feed them, brooder and make sure they don’t drown.

Feeding

Outside the incubator, they need water and food. That can be out inside the brooder. Don’t forget to put these things at the chick’s disposal at all times. Also, make sure the equipment can be used by the chickens, if they are able to put their beaks inside and feast.

Dry mash is something you can feed the babies with. Also, the chickens and the pheasants like a baby chick mash. Don’t give them grains or any type of solid food. It is not suitable for them yet. You will give it to them later. You can purchase the food from the local stores.

Brooder

It is the next phase after hatching inside the incubator. The brooder is a bigger incubator. You can either buy it or make it yourself. The brooder has a heating lamp that you can use to adjust the temperature inside. Before adding the chickens into the brooder, set it at no less than 90 degrees. Make it 95 degrees. That is optimal. Maintain that heat inside the brooder, using the lamp, for six weeks. After that you can start decreasing the temperature with 5 degrees every week. Do that till the temperature of the environment reaches 65 degrees in the 6th week.

Drowning Prevention

The first week inside the brooder can be very demanding. You have to watch out for many things. Sometimes, if the chick is too active, he can drown himself inside the water receptacles. Some people say that the chickens are used to being inside the egg and they are accustomed with liquids. When they come out they want the same environment and this is why they jump into water. It is partially true for most baby birds. Once they get older and wiser, they will loose this wish. If you want to prevent them from drowning, use a shallow water cup and not a deep one.