Setting eggs 6-18 anyone with me

[Kimbroe1981]

What is the longest you all are comfortable leaving the early hatchers in? My hatch day started yesterday at 5 am ish but technically hasn't even been 21 days yet for some...what do you push it to as far as leaving in the bator? And is it normal for them to get a bit pecky at ones in hatch process? Thanks so much!

I only wound up with 2 and I had to separate them cause one has spraddle leg (I think that's what it's called). So his legs are splinted, I have the box right next to the brooder and both my little chicks sleep in the corners as close together as they can get. Everyone in the house has become their friend since the don't have each other. it's really kinda pathetic. They're so stinking cute. I think I would leave the one in the bator till he has a friend. I feel so bad for having to separate my two.

 

[Kimbroe1981]

The splint on his toes worked great, then when I took it off, I realized that he can't get his legs up under him. Got to searching and found spraddle leg?! I think that's what it's called. Splinted his legs together, now, he/she's doing fantastic!!! standing up, trying to run. You can see his bad leg/foot. One of his toes didn't straighten out, but I'll take what I can get. Maybe through time it'll fix itself. Still not sure what the lump on his back end is/was, but now it's all squishy. he's pooping up a storm, eating and drinking, so i'm thinking i'll just go with it! hopefully it's nothing major. He's very active and VERY loud! Tomorrow I'll take the splint off and put him back with his friend.




I'll get some better pics when I put them back together. Ahh!! I just love them so much. THEY'RE SO FLUFFY!!! (for those who have seen despicable me)

 

[Phyrst]

The splint on his toes worked great, then when I took it off, I realized that he can't get his legs up under him. Got to searching and found spraddle leg?! I think that's what it's called. Splinted his legs together, now, he/she's doing fantastic!!! standing up, trying to run. You can see his bad leg/foot. One of his toes didn't straighten out, but I'll take what I can get. Maybe through time it'll fix itself. Still not sure what the lump on his back end is/was, but now it's all squishy. he's pooping up a storm, eating and drinking, so i'm thinking i'll just go with it! hopefully it's nothing major. He's very active and VERY loud! Tomorrow I'll take the splint off and put him back with his friend.

I'll get some better pics when I put them back together. Ahh!! I just love them so much. THEY'RE SO FLUFFY!!! (for those who have seen despicable me)


Kimbroe, your yellow chick doesn't have a big problem with toes curling. I just see 1 toe with a bit of angle but I don't think it's that bad. I have a chick that has 3 toes curling under the foot so it wobbled when it walked. After searching the site for info, these links showed me what to do. Now every day or so, I'm putting a little "boot" on his bad foot. I found it very hard to hold him and tape his toes down straight at the same time. I'm alone most of the time. In over 20 yrs. of chickens, from blue blood SQ, breeder's best, hatchery stock, barnyard mixes, I've never had a problem like this! Someone said it will show up when bloodlines have been bred too close, like father with daughter, but there are other reasons such as vitamin deficiencies. Anyway, from what I read, a chicken with curled toes may always have a claw foot or be unable to perch, mate or lay eggs so I'm trying to help it. The toes keep wanting to curl under and it's really hard to make sure the boot is on good, not too tight or will stop blood flow, etc. Since my chick is growing really fast I keep changing the boot to a bit bigger. I've copied 2 links so any one can read over them. You may not want to go there.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/51112/chick-with-curled-toes
https://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/chicken-orthopedics/leg-braces

 

[Kimbroe1981]

all his toes on that foot were curled, that's the fixed pic.

 

[Phyrst]

Looks good to me. I'd give him some xtra vitamins, like the Poly Visol (without iron) or Poultry Nutri-Drench for added measure.

 

[Kimbroe1981]

Looks good to me. I'd give him some xtra vitamins, like the Poly Visol (without iron) or Poultry Nutri-Drench for added measure.

he's had poly visol in his water since day 1. I have young ones, so i had some already at the house. woot woot!!

I'll take the brace off tomorrow and put the two back together. they miss each other!

 

[Peeps4me]

he's had poly visol in his water since day 1. I have young ones, so i had some already at the house. woot woot!!

I'll take the brace off tomorrow and put the two back together. they miss each other!

One of my newly hatched chicks (this morning) has a leg dragging and the toes curled on that foot. How did you make your splint?

 

[Beckymca]

Becky I looked at pics of Dorkings and they make beautiful birds. They get quite large. A proud owner stated his Dorkings were "grand". I think the roos are awesome! Sorry if I was insensitive before. I certainly didn't mean to infer your chicks were Robin ugly! They're certainly not. Just my mouth moving faster than my mind can catch up with. Please excuse me.

You didn't insult me at all, lol!!!! It takes a lot to insult me. I believe everyone's, tastes, likes, dislikes, ideas and lives are their own!!! This is my very first time working with Dorkings, my oldest birds are these 2 almost 7 week old Dorkings. What interested me the most was just how old the breed was and how it needs a refresher to come back to full standard and I figured they would be unique and interesting to work with. And I'm interested in how the roos work for meat, as they are noted for their wonderful meat quality. Always need an out for extra roos. I am super excited that the 6 new Dorking chicks are doing so well. Just got to secure a new supplier for next year to get some new, but not really all that new blood, as dorking lines are sooooo limited. Thinking I'll order 25 chicks as early as I can in the spring. My shipped eggs hatch rate, stinks. Just going to buy chicks!!

I have an update too. My shipped LB eggs due to hatch yesterday are finally doing sometime. I went into lock down with 9 of the 12 I started with and have 1 pip, better than none tho.......

 

[Beckymca]

Sorry to read about the chicks with the curled toes. My very first chicks were given to me, they were Buff Orrpingtons and several had curled toes. I never splinted or booted them and they all learned to mingle and adapt. Oddly enough the ones with curled toes all turned out to be roosters and went back to the friend who ate them.

 

[Peeps4me]

They are finally here, 21 beautiful Silkie chicks. I set 32 eggs so not a bad hatch rate for shipped eggs. They are so cute I can hardly stand it!