Moon Shadow has a Sister! 05/02/2024

Only two of my Eclipsed Eggs hatched, but the chicks appear healthy with no apparent birth defects. Moon Shadow hatched from a light green tinted egg layed on the day of the Eclipse, 04/08/2024. His Sister, Starfire hatched from a light blue tinted egg layed on 03/28/2024. They are both pure breed Ameraucanas. Without a mother Hen to raise them, it's important to dip their beaks in the drinking water to make sure they learn how to drink. Start with very shallow water fountains so they don't drown themselves in it. Also, it's good to start them off with chick vitamins & probiotics in their drinking water to help them get the best possible start. I feed my baby chicks mashed organic chick starter crumbles. The next thing to be on the lookout for is "Pasty Butt". If their vents get plugged with dried feces, they will die in a matter of days. Very easy to remedy by dipping their rear end in warm water and gently removing the plug with a cotton Swab. The probiotics help them develop a healthy digestive tract. The vitamins help prevent things like deformed toes and feet as they grow. They're ready to leave the Incubator and move into a warm brooder cage with a heat source until they feather out in about a month. Very happy that at least two hatched out! It would have been very difficult to raise only one chick by itself. Chickens are flocking creatures by nature and do best with at least a small brood of siblings of the same age. They do not integrate well with older bigger chicks or adult chickens without a mother hen to fiercely protect them at all times. The other chickens will immediately peck and trample them to death until they are big enough to fend for themselves.