toastedblue Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 first chick hatched this morning but it was sort of premature Sussex has been brooding them in the Eglu and when it was hatching this morning she was in the Eglu alone when bluebelle and blackrock tried to get in, to see what was happening ?, Sussex picked the egg up in her beak and jumped out the Eglu which broke the egg and the chick fell out. it seems ok but have noticed there's a fairly large yolk sac still attached to the chick and it's a bit slimey, is this normal ? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egg Lou Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Hi The yolk should get absorbed by the chick vefore hatching as this feeds it for the first 48 hrs.. so it sounds like this was hatched beore it was quite ready for the outside world. The mother should really be seperate from the other hens before hatching and for several weeks afterwards.. I hope your chick is ok but be careful of infection and it may just be too weak.. I would strongly recommend moving them both away from the others asap as they may also attack the chick. Fingers crossed for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 seems the Sussex is uninterested in the chick, she's not brooding it at all, she's left it to one side while she sits on the other egg so I've decided to move the chick into the brooder box where it's clean and warm should I try to remove, gently with a damp cloth or something, the dirty straw that's attached to it's back end or leave it to fall off naturally ? this is such a shame because the kids have been waiting patiently for weeks for this, even watching on the net from their own homes, I just hope the other 2 eggs hatch if this one doesn't survive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egg Lou Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Poor thing I'm really no expert, far from it! but as fa ras I know as long as you have a good heat lamp in the box it should dry off and keep warm enough.. it may also be nice to add something like an old flannel or fleece so it can snuggle up.. you will need to provide a shallow dish of water straight (with pebbles or marbles to prevent drowing) as without absorbing the yolk it will need to drink earlier than usual.. once it has dried off a bit try dipping its beak gently in the water.. You could also scatter some chick crumb nearby as it will peak the floor naturally.. Depending on the mother you may be able to slip it back under her at night once the other eggs have hatched.. I would say this is best if it works but be prepared to take it back out quickly if needed,, Keep it inside, warm and hydrated for now.. SOmeone with far more expereince will be along shortly I'm sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 at the moment it's just laying on it's side breathing very shallow and looking very sorry for itself it's under a heat lamp and the temp has almost reached 37'c, should be there in 10 minutes or so, it's only a 40 watt bulb and when I tested it it reached 38'c constant maximum temp should it be up and about almost immediately ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egg Lou Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 I can only go on how mine where and they were all like that for only a few minutes then up and cheeping under mum and quite lively. I know chicks hatched in incubators can take a couple of hours to fluff up but even so this sounds like its been a bit long and been through a lot. I'm afraid it doesn't sound like a very good outcome for this little one if its been like this all morning.. keep it in the warm and quiet and see if it pulls though. Fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 ok just checked it again and what looked like a yolk sac now looks like an umbilical cord hanging out it's back end and is quite large in comparison to the chick. if you imagine a human baby it's probably as thick in relative terms to it's size oh, and it's now getting up and cheeping but the thing hanging out its back end is not helping, like it's dragging a sack of tatties behind it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Oh dear, I don't think it will last long like that - it certainly is premature and not likely to survive i'm afraid. A brooding mother really does need to be kept separately from the other hens until the chicks are old enough to integrate. Another eglu with the bars removed or a small wooden ark make ideal broody housing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 we did try to put her in a seperate box (very large converted cat box), but she refused to entertain the idea, she would jump straight back into the Eglu leaving the eggs in the cat box. and there was no way the others would go in the cat bax, as big as it was. we're going to phone the vet or Steve at Poultry Mill and ask their advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Shame, you really need to start them off in a broody ark as soon as they go broody, THEN put the eggs underneath them. There's a lot of useful information on this forum and others if you want to do some research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 just spoken to Steve at Poultry Mill and he thinks it hasn't developed properly in the egg and it's probably the intestines hanging out if worse comes to worst he has some ready to hatch this weekend so we'll replace it with a new chick... as you do with hamsters etc. when the kids come in on Monday they won't know any different, hopefully Karen is more optomistic than me but as the day passes she's beggining to come to terms with reality as I was typing this another chick hatched, it's completed different, healthy and cheeping away as it should Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Hope your last chick hatches and the healthy one survives, don't try and reintroduce them to the flock either - the grown up "ladies" will think they are bite sized snacks!! Our chicks are coming up 10 weeks old (I think ) and they're still seperate. We won't put them together for at least another 6 weeks although the chicks are in an englu inside the walk in run so they all see each other every day. Mum should stay with the chicks for 6 weeks or so at the very least in which case you won't need a lamp or anything as she will keep them warm and teach them to eat scratch and drink. Don't forget to put stones or something in their water until they're big as they easily fall in and can drown. Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, it's all on here anyway so I expect you'll have seen it. Pictures please, they are SO cute, like something from an easter egg - but they change VERY fast, daily sometimes so make sure you keep a picture record! Mrs B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 we've decided to keep them in the brooder, basically because we haven't got anywhere for them to stay with the hen, nor can we justify the cost of buying/building an Ark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 we've decided to keep them in the brooder, basically because we haven't got anywhere for them to stay with the hen, nor can we justify the cost of buying/building an Ark I hope that this doesn't come across as critical, but they won't be able to stay in the brooder, not when they're, say, 4 weeks old and running around. It's a bit like leaving a 3 year old in a bouncy chair. I'd really advise anyone thinking of going into hatching to take a good look at alternative accommodation first and tyo do some research; it is essential that the brooding hen and subsequent chicks have their own housing until the youngsters are about 10 weeks old at least. There is a lot of information on hatching on this and other forums, plus a wealth of experience on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 the brooder isn't that small really, it's about 1m x 0.5m x 0.5 LWH will probably try the cat box again, when their too big for the brooder, and partition off part of the run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Hmmm, I'm sorry to say this but also, the mother hen is almost certainly going to want to be with her chicks - when they're broody it's a hormonal thing that goes through a cycle, part of which is looking after the chicks etc. Is there no way you can borrow a hutch or something, even just for the first couple of weeks to give you time to sort out a temporary second run and housing? I mean you wouldn't just take kittens from the mum at birth. I sound everso critical and I don't mean to be but I do feel that they need to be left with their mum otherwise you might as well have used an incubator. Mrs B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 the brooder isn't that small really, it's about 1m x 0.5m x 0.5 LWH will probably try the cat box again, when their too big for the brooder, and partition off part of the run. I think that you'll soon find it is too small for the mother and her chicks - they need somewhere to roost at night - you won't need lights and a brooder if they are with their mother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egg Lou Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 I have to agree.. mine are growing so quickly .. Mum sat and hatched in a rabbit hutch and had a daytime nursery in a section of the cube run.. them at 2 weeks old they have just moved into a new coop and home made run (with mum) and in another few weeks will have a larger run again.. they will then stay in this even after mum has gone back in main run..I had planned for the growth so more than ready. Sorry I do not want to tell you what to do either but I really would not take them off mum as this will cause a lot of stress to mum and babies and she knows how to look after them.. can you not find cheap rabbit hutch and build a run as a temp measure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Try Freecycle for a rabbit hutch - ours has loads. Sorry, but you can't take the chicks from the mother - you may risk losing all of them with the shock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Hi - hows the little chick with the egg sac / inners doing? Keeping my fingers crossed as it doesn't sound good does it? Congratulations on the hatch. I'm sure you will do your best for hen & chicks Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted August 9, 2008 Author Share Posted August 9, 2008 just an update... went out an bought an ark, put Sussex in there for a while to acclimatise then tried to introduce the chicks slowly. showed her the chicks through the mesh and she paced up and down but when we tried to put them in the nesting box she attacked them. it was quite vicious, she caught my hand and almost drew blood so we've decided to keep that for when the chicks are large enough and brood them ourselves. the iffy chick is still with us and looking surprisingly lively Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I am glad to hear that the first chick is still alive. I honestly didn't think it's make it through the night. Well done for persevering with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egg Lou Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Thanks for update have been worried about your little one ! Sorry to hear Mum won't take them back but glad you are all sorted now.. best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Oh well done you, what a nightmare this has been for you. Shame Mum won't take them back but at least you've got somewhere to keep them as they grow. And pleased to hear about the poorly chick, I didn't think it would make it this far. Mrs B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastedblue Posted August 9, 2008 Author Share Posted August 9, 2008 the camera is back online but, unfortunately, the infrared lamp is causing the weird wave effect. I'll try and remedy that tomorrow the poorly chick is actually eating and drinking... will just have to wait and see what happens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
