Sick/injured hatchling

[hodor]

We just hatched some chicks under a broody hen, we have previously used an incubator. Postman was very rough with the box and hatch rate was terrible.

We have two healthy chicks with mum and a third hatched this morning, found it in the laying box abandoned I think, it was half covered and had dried membrane stuck to it and it's legs. Mum tried to peck at it when she saw it.

I moved it to an incubator to see how it would go, it just laid there for 9 or 10 hours. We decided to use warm water to remove the stuck on membrane and free it's legs. Now it is still laying about and it appears too be unable to bend it's right leg, it drank some water when offered. It's now drying in an incubator.

Is there anything else we should do or is it unlikely to survive/how long do we give it before it is kinder to let it go.

We are lucky to have two healthy chicks as at day 16 another hen went broody (only have 3 and they had left her alone to that point) and tried to squeeze in cracking one of the eggs with a little crater and it was pushed out and went cold. Put it in an incubator alone and it hatched! Put it under mum last night and it's been looked after.

Thanks

 

[Quailobsessed]

Does the chick look alert or lethargic? That can be a good indicator. It may just take time for it to recover or it may continue to suffer and die anyway. You can get an idea of this through it's behaviour hopefully.

 

[hodor]

Lots of chirping, especially when she sees us and drinks ok when offered. Seems frail however. This hatch we did bantams so much smaller than our previous ones.

We have made a little chair so she isn't slumped over. Fingers crossed she is looking better in the morning.

Hopefully she looks better tomorrow. Doesn't seem to be fluffing up like other chicks either.

 

[Quailobsessed]

Lots of chirping, especially when she sees us and drinks ok when offered. Seems frail however. This hatch we did bantams so much smaller than our previous ones.

We have made a little chair so she isn't slumped over. Fingers crossed she is looking better in the morning.

Hopefully she looks better tomorrow. Doesn't seem to be fluffing up like other chicks either.

Hope so too.

 

[hodor]

Still alive and chirpy, slept upright in a chick seat. Toes were curled on both feet so read up on that and used tape to splint them flat, still couldn't stand without falling so have put a cardboard roll behind and Infront(see pic below).

She is getting better at Standing, she still Falls a bit and can't get back up when she does. had to go to work, hopefully the wife gets a chance to give water and food through the day and stand her when she falls. Hopefully tomorrow she'll be strong enough to feed herself.

 

[Quailobsessed]

That's good. Chicks can have a very strong will to survive.