The problem with chickens anonymous is....The problem with chickens anonymous is that first you have to admit you have a problem... and bantam addiction is not a problem to me!
What kind of incubator are you using, where was the calibrated thermometer placed in the incubator, and how did you calibrate the thermometer? Chicks hatching that late sounds like low temperature.
HA ha, same here -- why cure what is so much fun? 18 hens, one cock, 4 ducks, 2 drakes and now 11 ducklings over here. NO problem. No meetings or steps required. Oh and 10 ducks unwashed sitting on the counter, the incubator holds 22 so I am almost 1/2 way there . . .The problem with chickens anonymous is that first you have to admit you have a problem... and bantam addiction is not a problem to me!
I've done the same for a couple of chicks through the years. It's so rewarding to see them start on their own.@sayga
I'm really sorry about your little baby!
I haven't dealt with anything like what she has but I had a chick once that for whatever reason just could not get the concept of eating or drinking on his own. Nothing obvious physically wrong with him and he had plenty of energy but he wouldn't eat or drink (I knew something was wrong when by day 5 he would just peep and peep and peep). I ended up mixing some kaytee baby bird formula up and molding it into little rice-sized pieces. I'd open my little chicks beak and push it in, give him some time to swallow then repeat with the next piece and so on. It was very time consuming at first as half of the time he'd manage to spit it out. I kept at it though feeding him multiple times a day and carefully giving him some water by slowly dripping it onto his beak via syringe. By the second week he got easier to feed as once it was in his mouth he wanted to swallow it. By the third week he actually would sometimes peck it out of my fingers if I held it at eye level and he'd peck at the water coming out of the syringe tip. The 4th week he finally got the concept of pecking the food off my hand held at ground level and he was able to drink on his own. By 5 weeks he didn't need to be hand fed or watered anymore. It wasn't ideal, he was definitely stunted for awhile from the ordeal but he caught up to the other chicks in a couple months once he started eating without help. He's now around 9 months old and doing great.
I'm not sure if that helps but hand feeding is possible as a last resort if you have the time to do it (I was lucky that I wasn't working so was able to devote that time to my little problem chick).
I hope your baby will manage to figure out how to eat for you, good luck!
But she’s eating egg yolk so hopefully I can keep her going. I’ll probably have to start taking them to work. Gonna have to make some chick diapers and a little brooder at work...
So update. 4 ameraucana from batch one and 7 easter eggers from batch 2. Awefull numbers compared to my usual.
Here she is!
