Once your chicks have been hatched, wait at least 12 hours to open the incubator. This is easier said then done with two very eager children that want to hold the new "babies".
My two girls and their new chicks
Just make sure that their hands are very clean. The newly hatched chicks are very much like newborns, any dirt, bacteria or contamination can cause illness, so scrub up first! Also, try to wait as long as possible before handling. I am able to direct my girls by saying something like " Lets let them rest after all that hard work, but you can help put them in their new home(aka brooder box) in the morning." Newly hatched chicks do not require food or water for the first 12 hours or so. They have received their nutrition from inside the egg before they hatched. The next morning, or 12 hours later, you want to have their new home ready for them. Best thing I have used is a water basin used for horses, with a heat lamp attached to one corner, a 1-2" layer of pine shavings and their feeders and water bottle propped on upside down ramekins or semi-flat Tupperware.
For their food and water I suggest typical chicken starter for the first 2 months. There are two kinds, however. Medicated and Non-medicated. If you ordered your chickens from a hatchery, check with them to inquire about any inoculations the chicks might need in the form of their food. If hatched at home, consider your timing- In the fall and winter, baby or young chicks will not experience the outdoors as freely, nor train their immune system against of Coccidiosis. In the spring and summer, chicks will get very small amounts of this parasite, which helps builds resistance over time. However..... If you had inoculations done by the hatchery or your vet, feeding medicated to the chicks will actually cancel out all your hard work. When in doubt, check with your vet or hatchery.
When it comes to water- bottled or tap works fine. There has been several debates over the actual ingredients in tap water, so it definitely depends on where you live and where your water comes from. Electrolytes are a fantastic addition in the first few weeks, the babies have worked hard to get here, and that little help makes for some very happy chirps! Electrolytes help with sodium levels and micro nutrients that are essential to growing chicks. They come in powder or tablets, and help your new flock out to a great start. If your in a real pinch, a tiny amount of liquid sugar added to their water will work temporarily. If you do use tap water, check with your city water department to get the low down on any testing that has been done recently, boil the water regardless of the test results, and let the water cool to room temp in an open container (this allows any chlorine still present to evaporate)
Every week move your heat lamp a few inches away. Each week you should reduce the temperature by 5 degrees until week 8. By week 6 I can usually shut off the heat lamp if they are still in the house. Our nursery is set up to have an ambient temperature of 20 degrees above the outside, so on very cold nights in the spring, I have a heater set up just in case. If you use a heater or heat lamp, consider installing a nursery sound machine (where you can hear their chirps). Chicks make noise, and soon you can distinguish between happy chirps and scared, hungry or nervous babies. Make sure the lamps are secure, screw them to a support beam. If using a heater, make sure it comes standard with a safety heat shut off, tip safety shut off and the breaker or circuit it is plugged into is alone. (it is the only device on that circuit).
Check on your babies at least twice a day, topping off their water before bed. Chickens tend to wake with the sun and get their breakfast on, if their sisters or brothers beat them to the punch, you will be woken by some very upset chirps! As they grow, consider using larger feeders and waterers. Ducklings are notorious for making a huge mess with their water, and man... does it stink! With ducklings, consider using an old plastic butter container with half the lid cut off; or a 1/2 gallon milk jug with a hole double the size of their head cut out on the side twice.
With babies comes messes, and so to your new chicks. Depending on the size of your brooder, clean as needed. Once they are about 6 weeks old, consider moving them to the coop. Next blog is all about the young ins getting to know their elders, and becoming part of the flock.
And never forget..... There are no mistakes, they are simply experiments
