BakeryHill
Hatching
This is our first time incubating and hatching chickens, however we've got a slight problem with the first one hatched. It's a Barred Wyandotte chick and hatched on Day 17 (according to the Brinsea incubator readout). It took us by surprise as we thought there'd be at least a few more days to go. She seems to have a problem with one eye in that it doesn't open. This leaves her always trying to look around the corner - her head tends to turn to one side all the time.
We've now had 3 more chicks hatch of varying breeds but they are all bigger than the first with the one eye. It's clear this one is smaller and the "weakling" of group. We've not seen her eat though we've only seen one of the others eat, but none drink water. I suppose we just haven't sat long enough to see them as they love hiding under their heat plate.
We're wiping the bad eye with warm water on a cotton ball but there's not much else we can do. She has an eye as we can see it when we wipe it. Trying to feed her is fruitless as she just wants to sleep whenever we hold her (warm hands!).
Is there any advice on the above - bad eye & possibly not eating and drinking - or should we just let nature take her course?
We've now had 3 more chicks hatch of varying breeds but they are all bigger than the first with the one eye. It's clear this one is smaller and the "weakling" of group. We've not seen her eat though we've only seen one of the others eat, but none drink water. I suppose we just haven't sat long enough to see them as they love hiding under their heat plate.
We're wiping the bad eye with warm water on a cotton ball but there's not much else we can do. She has an eye as we can see it when we wipe it. Trying to feed her is fruitless as she just wants to sleep whenever we hold her (warm hands!).
Is there any advice on the above - bad eye & possibly not eating and drinking - or should we just let nature take her course?
