Incubator vs. Brooder for hatched chick

[seberger22]

Yesterday, one of the chicks in the incubator I have in my classroom hatched. It hatched quite early, and I am out of town this weekend (including yesterday--I had taken the day off).
I've read that chicks can survive 3 days in the incubator, but I'm wondering what people suggest here for my situation.
If the chick hatched Friday afternoon, will it be ok unattended in the incubator until Monday morning?
The other option would be to have the school principal go in on Sunday morning to move the chick to a brooder, but that would mean she would have to set up the brooder and it would also mean that the chick would be unattended in the brooder until Monday morning (so almost 24 hours alone in the brooder).
What is our best option?

 

[Kiki]

I personally would not leave the chick in the bator.
The quicker it starts eating feed and drinking the better.

 

[oregonkat]

When are your other eggs due to hatch? I would move to the brooder like Kiki says but hopefully you are going to have other chicks hatch very soon to keep it company. Chicks do not do well being alone.

 

[seberger22]

When are your other eggs due to hatch? I would move to the brooder like Kiki says but hopefully you are going to have other chicks hatch very soon to keep it company. Chicks do not do well being alone.

I thought all the chicks were due to hatch Wednesday the 16th, but now I'm not so sure since one hatched yesterday. If they were given to me on day 1 it would be day 21 on Wednesday.
You think the chick will be fine unattended in the brooder for about 24 hours?

 

[oregonkat]

If there is food and water and warmth, it will be OK. When you say they were given to you on day 1, did you place them in the bator that same day? Usually the day count starts 24 hours after placing the eggs in the incubator.
Where did you get the eggs from? It is odd that one would hatch so much earlier than the others if they were all placed the same time together in the bator unless that egg was under a broody before coming to you and had already started to develop. Is that a possibility?

 

[seberger22]

If there is food and water and warmth, it will be OK. When you say they were given to you on day 1, did you place them in the bator that same day? Usually the day count starts 24 hours after placing the eggs in the incubator.
Where did you get the eggs from? It is odd that one would hatch so much earlier than the others if they were all placed the same time together in the bator unless that egg was under a broody before coming to you and had already started to develop. Is that a possibility?

That's what I meant about day 1 (day 0 I guess is what I mean)..that it's possible that that one was under a broody.
So you wouldn't worry about it pasting up or being in a dirty brooder?

 

[oregonkat]

Why is the brooder dirty? If you are moving the chick from the incubator to the brooder the brooder should be set up with clean bedding, a source of warmth, water and food with chick grit in it. It should be fine for 24 hours.

 

[seberger22]

Why is the brooder dirty? If you are moving the chick from the incubator to the brooder the brooder should be set up with clean bedding, a source of warmth, water and food with chick grit in it. It should be fine for 24 hours.

I just meant once the chick poops, over the 24 hours it will get dirty with poop.

 

[bobbi-j]

It will be fine. Put it in a box, plastic tote, or whatever you have for a brooder, give it a heat source (not too hot - you don't need a 250 watt bulb or anything like that), food and water. Give it a big enough box and the brooder won't get that dirty when it poops. Unless you're going to scoop it out every time they poop, that brooder will get dirty fast once the other chicks hatch.

What day of the week did you set them? If it was on Wednesday, then yes - they should hatch on Wednesday. If you set them on Tuesday, they should start hatching on Tuesday.

 

[seberger22]

It will be fine. Put it in a box, plastic tote, or whatever you have for a brooder, give it a heat source (not too hot - you don't need a 250 watt bulb or anything like that), food and water. Give it a big enough box and the brooder won't get that dirty when it poops. Unless you're going to scoop it out every time they poop, that brooder will get dirty fast once the other chicks hatch.

What day of the week did you set them? If it was on Wednesday, then yes - they should hatch on Wednesday. If you set them on Tuesday, they should start hatching on Tuesday.

Ok, thanks. I set them on a Wednesday