4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[thebdj]

Apparently hatching chicks is not a textbook experience, or not one that I seem to be able to follow! If you remember last time, my electric died and I had to take them halfway across the county to get them back on heat!

 

Anyway, recently I put some polish eggs under my broody. I made several posts claiming I thought my broody was a bit rubbish at doing her job and that I wasn't convinced anything was going to happen. 6 eggs became 3 after candling and Day 21 came and passed. As did Day 22, 23, 24 and 25.

 

On Day 26, I was moving the other chickens about and cleaning them all and decided I might as well take this opportunity to 'un-broody' Golddust. To my amazment/horror, there was a fully formed dead chick on the periphery of the nest. How odd! It would appear that it had got out of the egg itself and didn't look like it had any physical deformities so I am wondering if Golddust killed it or discarded it and hence it froze to death.

 

Unsure by all this, but confident the rest was a formality, I took the other two eggs from under Golddust and proceeded to dispose of them. On my way to the compost heap, one egg wobbled and cheeped at me!!!!!! After careful examination, the very tiniest pip was visible as well! I decided to put it in my incubator on a small piece of card so that it was warm but not turning. I wasn't putting it back under Golddust as she had already proved very unreliable!

 

The chick did well but was struggling at times to emerge. I wondered if this could be the humidity in the incubator which is currently at 45% and geared for the chicks who are 11 days into their hatch cycle. I removed it every few hours and dampened the shell and membrane around the pip. Gradually it managed to help itself out, and just before it came out, I removed it and placed it into a special tray as I didn't want it inside the incubator at that point.

 

The chick looked a bit weak to say the least and had a small amount of blood around it's vent. It was struggling to many any effort to stand, and appeared to have little to no control over it's neck or the weight of it's head. I put the little box it was in, in my broody run in the shed under the lamp giving it a good amount of heat. I left it there overnight, and in fairness assumed it would potentially be gone by the morning.

 

So this morning, there's what looks like a happy little Poland looking at me with full control of it's little head! It does however appear to have one overriding problem. It's toes are quite curled and it can't walk properly. It can hobble and appears to be quite happy in doing this but it's not proper motion.

 

So what do I do now? I can't help but think this little chick is a tiny miracle but at the same time I don't want it to suffer. I have the time and inclination to give it special care. In your experience will it last and what do you think?

 

Justin

[Redwing]

Hi Justin

 

Bless it for getting this far and well done for your pronpt action!

 

You will need to make it some shoes, get small squares of sturdy card and use medical tape to stick the chicks feet flat to the card, hopefully this will sort the problem out within a week or so

[thebdj]

Ok that sounds like a sensible idea. I don't want to give up on this little one. And I was massively aware of the huge debate about 'how much you help' but felt like this was my fault a little bit. Maybe I shouldn't have tried to use a broody when the weather was getting colder.

 

Will definitely get the shoes built and will keep you updated!

[Redwing]

Yes, its definitely not ideal to help but at the time the compassion does overtake you and I can see how it happens, I've been in a similar situation myself and its very hard to know what to do for the best

[craftyhunnypie]

I would have done the same, especially as it had pipped and was cheeping. If it gets that far, I always think, well I am going to give it a chance at life - as otherwise it would get stuck & die anyway.

What lovely news that this little one is out. The special shoes should work.

Good luck.

Emma.x

[Jools]

Here's one of mine from earlier this year ... mum left the nest with four chicks, leaving this little mite half in and half out ........ Chicken Little hatching

 

And here he is three months later (the Indian Game on the right). He just had to be a boy didn't he!!

[Griffin]

One of my chicks had a splayed leg and curled toes earlier this year. I made her some shoes from a pizza box and some tape. After three days she was fine

 

[craftyhunnypie]

ahhhh flip flops for chicks!

 

Emma.x

[fluffyknickers]

Chick flops.

 

You have to do what you can, as animal lovers we cant help it. As long as its not in pain then go for it. We need photos. Michelle

[Egluntyne]

I had to make shoes for Claudia who had twisted toes. She was fine just a few days later.

[HENthusiastic]

Wow. well done little chick. But what I dont understand is how come she took so long to hatch?? I've chucked eggs in the bin that havent hatched by that time!!

[Jools]

If incubation isn't consistent, it can delay hatching. I had a broody this year who wasn't completely covering the eggs - my fault for not making the nesting area correctly for her. The eggs were several days late - lesson learned.

[thebdj]

Well firstly the little one continues to be ok! It was fine when I got home from work and has made a marked improvement! It can now walk, albeit using it's curled up toes. It also showed signs of wanting to eat and drink and after showing it how to do both it is now happy!

 

I have made some little shoes for it as well! Very cute but at the same time very difficult! I think I have done an ok job but will keep it monitored. Chickie is not very happy at wearing stupid shoes and keeps trying to take them off

 

Anyway, I have some pictures of Chickie (yet to be named) which will hopefully appear below (bit small though)

 

 

and

 

 

And now for something extra ....

 

Remember I said that there were two eggs I took from under my broody? Well I put them both in the incubator. Having completely forgotten about the other, I once again came to getting rid of it about 30 minutes ago. It is pipped and cheeping at me! This is Day 27! I'm understanding delayed hatches but this seems ridiculous!

 

So now I'm wondering if in a weird way, the one that is out was 'early' hence it's problem with it's legs! I now have another nursing procedure to try and bring it's sibling out! I am so lucky I have an understanding wife through all of this! Who by the way hatches our first (!) in under 4 weeks!

 

Cheers

Justin (who is confused but very chipper!)

[Griffin]

Oh excellent news! I hope it hatches soon so little wonky foot has a friend.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Congratulations Justin on both traditional and alternative fatherhoods ...I hope both imminent hatchings go well

 

Sha x

[Lewis]

Well done on the

 

Any news on the latest chick?

[thebdj]

GREAT NEWS!

 

The egg started cracking big stylee just before I went to bed so I watched it through to completion and it hatched at just before 1 am with everything formed correctly and looking much stronger than it's sibling. We made another mock box (so as not to disturb the other eggs in the incubator) and lined it with J-cloth which has proved a success.

 

This morning it had fluffed up and was looking quite keen to progress to somewhere bigger for movement, water and it's first taste of chick crumb! I have just moved it to the little broody run and almost immediately, it is inseparable from its sibling. They go everywhere together!

 

Something else that is quite interesting ... when I assumed the first one was truly a miracle, I didn't want it to be on its own and I couldn't put it in with my first batch which are now 5 weeks and getting very boisterous! So I managed to acquire 2 RIR chicks at 2 weeks old and an ixworth, also 2 weeks old. This has proved useful, if not only for providing a demonstration to the chicks for food and water but interstingly, they favour the Ixworth. They keep trying to get underneath it as if it was their mother, I assume. The Ixworth doesn't seem to care about this either and is happy to put a wing over them!

 

And as for the special shoes. Well I wasn't convinced I had done that great a job but I must have done something right because it's now tearing about the broody run!

 

Pictures will follow!

Justin

[The Dogmother]

Great news Justin I'm glad that the wee fella has friends now.

 

I've made chick shoes and splints before and it's remarkable how quickly they sort any problems out.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

What brilliant news Justin, I'm so pleased for you and the successful integrations were quick too

 

Can't wait for the piccies......

 

Sha x

[thebdj]

Chickies are doing really well and still warming to their fake Ixworth Mum who appears to be totally happy with the whole experience (which is odd given that he/she is a 2 week old chicker him/herself!)

 

Anyway, this time with some better pictures because I spooned it up last time...

 

Chickie with Shoes

 

 

And Chickie's Friend

 

 

Really chuffed with both of them!

 

Justin

 

PS - Will Get photosize right next time. Is there an agreed size I should have them at?

[The Dogmother]

Best size is about 600 pixels Justin

[ClaireG]

Awwww

[Chickvic]

Cute

[fluffyknickers]

oooh they are so gorgeous - I just think the shoes are so cute and hope they help.

[Griffin]

They are so cute but they'll grow so fast!