What do I do with chicks right after they hatch?

Leave them in the incubator to dry off and fluff up — usually for **several hours, often until the rest of the hatch is finished and they are fully fluffy**. A just-hatched chick is wet and can't hold its own body heat yet, and opening the incubator to pull chicks out drops the humidity and can shrink-wrap siblings that are still hatching. There is no need to rush them to food and water: the chick absorbs its **yolk sac just before hatching**, and that reserve feeds it for roughly **24–48 hours** (which is why day-old chicks can ship through the mail). Once a chick is dry, fluffy, and steady on its feet, move it to a brooder that you've already warmed to **90–95°F at chick level** (per university extension guidance). Dip its beak in the waterer so it learns where to drink, set it near the starter feed, and then mostly leave it alone. Over the following days, watch each chick's vent for pasty butt and keep the brooder in range — lowering the temperature about **5°F per week** as the chicks feather out.

How long can chicks stay in the incubator after hatching?

Comfortably up to about a day. Chicks live on their **absorbed yolk for roughly 24–48 hours**, so early hatchers can wait in the warm incubator while the rest of the clutch finishes — this is better than repeatedly opening the lid. Move them to the brooder once they are dry and fluffy.

Do I need to give newly hatched chicks food and water right away?

Not immediately. Their absorbed yolk sac sustains them for about **24–48 hours**, so a chick that ignores the feeder at first is normal. Have starter feed and clean water ready in the brooder, and **dip each chick's beak in the water** when you move it in so it knows where to drink.

What temperature should the brooder be for day-old chicks?

**90–95°F at chick level for the first week**, then lower it about **5°F per week** until the chicks are feathered and the brooder reaches room temperature (Penn State Extension cites 95°F the first week down to 62–65°F). Let the chicks guide you: evenly spread means comfortable, huddled under the heat means cold, pressed to the edges and panting means too hot.

How do I keep newly hatched chicks from drowning in the waterer?

Use a proper shallow chick waterer, or fill any open dish with **clean pebbles or marbles** so a chick that stumbles in can climb out and can't submerge. Keep the water clean and at brooder temperature, since cold water chills a small chick quickly.

What is pasty butt and what should I do about it?

Pasty butt is droppings caking over and around a chick's vent, often linked to chilling or stress; if the vent seals shut it becomes dangerous. **Soften and wipe it away gently with a warm, damp cloth**, being careful not to tear the skin, then keep the brooder in the right temperature range. For anything beyond gentle cleaning, consult a health reference like PoultryDVM — we don't give medication or dosing advice.

What to Do in the First 48 Hours After Hatch

Verified September 2026

The short version

Leave newly hatched chicks in the incubator to dry and fluff for several hours to overnight — do not rush them out to feed and water. They live on the yolk they absorbed just before hatching for roughly 24–48 hours, so there is no hurry. Once fluffed and steady on their feet, move them to a brooder held at 90–95°F for the first week, then lower the temperature about 5°F per week. Show each chick the food and water, and check daily for pasty butt.

Leave them in the incubator to dry and fluff

A chick that has just zipped out of its shell is wet, exhausted, and needs to dry off before it can regulate its own temperature. Leave it in the warm, closed incubator to dry and fluff for several hours — many hatchers wait until the whole hatch is done and the chicks are fully fluffy, often overnight — before moving anyone to the brooder. Opening the lid every few minutes to pull chicks out drops the humidity and can shrink-wrap siblings that are still pipping.

There is no rush to get food and water into a freshly hatched chick. Just before hatching it draws the remaining yolk sac into its abdomen, and that reserve sustains it for roughly 24–48 hours (Penn State Extension notes chicks can survive on the unabsorbed yolk for about 72 hours, which is exactly why day-old chicks can be shipped through the mail). So a chick sitting in the incubator without a feeder is not going hungry — it is doing precisely what nature intended.

Setting up the brooder and its temperature

Have the brooder running and warmed up before the first chick moves in. University extension sources put the target at 90–95°F at chick level for the first week, then a reduction of about 5°F per week until the chicks are feathered and the brooder reaches normal room temperature (Penn State Extension gives 95°F the first week, dropping 5°F per week to 62–65°F; the University of Minnesota and UNH Extension both cite 90–95°F for week one). Measure the temperature down where the chicks actually stand, not up near the lamp.

The chicks themselves are the best thermometer. Contented chicks spread out evenly and murmur softly. If they pile and huddle directly under the heat and cheep loudly, they are cold; if they press to the far edges away from the heat, pant, and act drowsy, they are too hot. Adjust the lamp height rather than chasing the exact number on a gauge, and give them enough space to move toward or away from the heat as they choose.

Showing chicks food and water — and keeping them from drowning

When you move chicks to the brooder, dip each chick's beak gently into the waterer so it learns where to drink, then set it down near the feed. Extension guidance is to have starter feed and clean water available once the chicks are in the brooder; because their yolk reserve carries them through the first day or so, a chick that is not interested in eating right away is normal.

Newly hatched chicks are small and clumsy and can drown or chill in an open dish of water. Use a proper shallow chick waterer, or fill any dish with clean pebbles or marbles so a chick that stumbles in can climb back out and cannot submerge. Keep the water clean and at brooder temperature — cold water chills a small chick fast.

Watching for pasty butt — and not expecting a synchronized hatch

In the first days, check each chick's vent daily for pasty butt — droppings that dry and cake over the vent, which can be caused by chilling or stress and can become dangerous if the vent seals shut. If you find it, soften and wipe the area away gently with a warm, damp cloth and take care not to tear the skin; then work on keeping the brooder in the right temperature range. For anything beyond gentle cleaning, or if a chick seems unwell, see a health reference such as PoultryDVM rather than reaching for medication — this guide gives no dosing or treatment advice.

Finally, do not panic if the hatch is spread out. Chicks do not all hatch at once — even under ideal conditions a clutch trickles out over a day or more, and stragglers can arrive a day or two after the first chicks. Early hatchers can safely wait in the incubator on their absorbed yolk while the rest finish, so resist opening the incubator to 'rescue' a slow one.

Common pitfalls

Rushing wet chicks out of the incubator to feed and water them — they run on absorbed yolk for 24–48 hours and need to dry and fluff first.
Opening the incubator repeatedly to remove hatched chicks, which drops humidity and can shrink-wrap siblings still pipping.
Measuring brooder temperature up near the lamp instead of at chick level, so the chicks are actually far colder or hotter than the gauge reads.
Using an open, deep water dish a chick can drown or chill in — add pebbles or marbles, or use a proper shallow chick waterer.
Missing pasty butt because vents aren't checked daily; a sealed vent is dangerous if left.

Frequently asked questions

What do I do with chicks right after they hatch?: Leave them in the incubator to dry off and fluff up — usually for several hours, often until the rest of the hatch is finished and they are fully fluffy. A just-hatched chick is wet and can't hold its own body heat yet, and opening the incubator to pull chicks out drops the humidity and can shrink-wrap siblings that are still hatching. There is no need to rush them to food and water: the chick absorbs its yolk sac just before hatching, and that reserve feeds it for roughly 24–48 hours (which is why day-old chicks can ship through the mail). Once a chick is dry, fluffy, and steady on its feet, move it to a brooder that you've already warmed to 90–95°F at chick level (per university extension guidance). Dip its beak in the waterer so it learns where to drink, set it near the starter feed, and then mostly leave it alone. Over the following days, watch each chick's vent for pasty butt and keep the brooder in range — lowering the temperature about 5°F per week as the chicks feather out.
How long can chicks stay in the incubator after hatching?: Comfortably up to about a day. Chicks live on their absorbed yolk for roughly 24–48 hours, so early hatchers can wait in the warm incubator while the rest of the clutch finishes — this is better than repeatedly opening the lid. Move them to the brooder once they are dry and fluffy.
Do I need to give newly hatched chicks food and water right away?: Not immediately. Their absorbed yolk sac sustains them for about 24–48 hours, so a chick that ignores the feeder at first is normal. Have starter feed and clean water ready in the brooder, and dip each chick's beak in the water when you move it in so it knows where to drink.
What temperature should the brooder be for day-old chicks?: 90–95°F at chick level for the first week, then lower it about 5°F per week until the chicks are feathered and the brooder reaches room temperature (Penn State Extension cites 95°F the first week down to 62–65°F). Let the chicks guide you: evenly spread means comfortable, huddled under the heat means cold, pressed to the edges and panting means too hot.
How do I keep newly hatched chicks from drowning in the waterer?: Use a proper shallow chick waterer, or fill any open dish with clean pebbles or marbles so a chick that stumbles in can climb out and can't submerge. Keep the water clean and at brooder temperature, since cold water chills a small chick quickly.
What is pasty butt and what should I do about it?: Pasty butt is droppings caking over and around a chick's vent, often linked to chilling or stress; if the vent seals shut it becomes dangerous. Soften and wipe it away gently with a warm, damp cloth, being careful not to tear the skin, then keep the brooder in the right temperature range. For anything beyond gentle cleaning, consult a health reference like PoultryDVM — we don't give medication or dosing advice.

Sources

Brooding of Domestic Fowl — Penn State Extension (University extension)
Brooding and Caring for Chicks — University of New Hampshire Extension (University extension)
Raising chickens for meat (brooding temperature) — University of Minnesota Extension (University extension)