Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Space Chick]

Hatching is wonderful, chicks are a joy to have, however it isn't something that anyone should undertake lightly.

 

I wanted to share a story, just to give people some food for thought.

 

This is our 2nd hatch (we hatched last year too), yesterday a chick hatched which appeared to have a thick bloody lump.. We left him dry off in the inccy... Today it was clear there was a mass of some description... We gently investigated the situation, wiping away the dried blood with a wet cotton bud.. Then we could see the true extent of the problem, this chick had a gaping hole in its abdomen and the mass was actually its intestines. I'm actually amazed this chick had survived, but it was quite obvious from looking at this injury that the chick would not be able to survive this injury long term. We made the hard but kind decision to dispatch it.

 

These things can and do happen, and I don't want people to underestimate how difficult it is to dispatch a day old chick even if it is for the best.

 

I know people say about thinking about boys when hatching (and certainly I can dispatch upon first crow and have these birds as meat, it's not easy, but it is justifiable) but I would urge you to think about if you could dispatch a chick if it had a serious problem. Whilst I undertook the dispatch with compassion it was a very hard and upsetting thing to have to do.

 

Sorry if this sounds preachy, but it's not all fluffy cutie chicks, it can be bitter sweet.

[Purplemaniacs]

Space Chick what a good post. Chicks are so sweet.

 

I have only hatched once, they are 3 weeks old now and I did not take it on lightly. DD's boyfriend has experience of breeding and having to deal with reptiles so that was a comfort to me.

 

He had to deal with one chick who was unable to walk and was getting weaker and weaker. I found it difficult to cope with even though I knew it was for the best.

 

I know what I am doing with the boys and if I had not had an answer to that question I would not have considered hatching.

 

It is a great experience and one I hope to repeat, the grandchildren love it but it is a worry and something not to take on lightly.

 

Chrissie

[Jules.]

we had a similar chick when we did our one and only hatch three years age and because of it I would never hatch again. It's too upsetting. I can dispatch an eighteen week old boy for meat without too much trouble but I had to get hubby to dispatch the tiny chick , I just couldn't do that.

[Clunie]

Oh I feel for you Space Chick.

 

last year when I did my first incubator hatch I had a similar experience. About half the chicks had hatched and some must have jumped on a hatching egg. Out shot the marans chick complete with intestine and other insides out! Having done biology at Uni - I knew what it was and what the outcome would be. But I'd never killed a newly hatched chick before. Over reaction as I used a cleaver!! Quick and efficient but I was left as a jittery wreck and really thought that I'd never use the incy again.

 

needless to say that reality hit (eventually) and a few weeks later eggs were in again. Have just done 3 hatches this year but always worry that I'll have a similar experience again.

 

As has been said it's a lot easier to deal with an older bird as compared with a new life.

[Egluntyne]

I've had a similar experience too, and had to despatch the chick immediately. Not pleasant.

[Duncan08]

It is a great post and thank you for posting.

 

I am not sure I could do it, but I know how important it is, and that I should.

[scubababe]

It is a great post and thank you for posting.

 

I am not sure I could do it, but I know how important it is, and that I should.

 

I would love to hatch but I know that I will have problems with despatching. Hatching is something I will never do

 

If I had to despatch one of my ladies I would....or rather the vet would!

[craftyhunnypie]

Extremely good & worth while post Debs! Yes, you do have to be prepared for things like this.

Emma.x

[NannyOgg]

One of the hybrid eggs pipped yesterday morning, but no progress beyond that. This morning Sprinkle moved it out of the nest. It already felt cold with no evidence of life, so I opened it up to find a sleeping boy, and he had exactly the same...bag of intestines protruding through the lower abdomen. I'm glad that he didn't make it through the hatching process and fell into his permanent sleep still snuggled under Sprinkle, for our sake as much as his