Advice please - Crooked neck hatchling. What would you do? *pic*

[MichiganWoods]

Of the 3 viable eggs that came off the turner on Day 18, 1 never hatched. 1 did and was perfect. And then 1 actually managed to hatch with a severely crooked neck.

It's so crooked that he can't sit up or stand, or even rest on his belly. He always flips over to his back.

I've started him/her on a liquid vitamin E supplement routine, but I also have to administer water or he/she can't drink.

I was thinking about making a neck brace for it but... would you try, or would you humanely put it down?

 

[Deedee]

Oh... I am so sorry. I personal would go ahead and put him down. If he's not able to drink I would think he would be suffering. I feel so bad for you. This is so hard to do.

 

[daisychick]

I wish someone who has had this before could help you out. I don't know if there is something to help him snap out of it. I wish I knew. Sorry.

 

[MichiganWoods]

Well, I am making sure he/she is getting water for now. Me too, daisychick. I'm gonna wait a few hours to see if anyone who has been through this finds the post and responds.

 

[daisychick]

Have you tried the sugar water thing or the Poly-vi-sol vitamins? I don't know if it would help? but I don't think it would hurt.

 

[rancher hicks]

I saw a program on Elephants where the calf was walking on his knees. He eventually straightened his legs. They decided he had been cramped up in the womb. In your case the pics look pretty new. I would try gently massaging the neck only occasionally maybe a minute for every half hour.
What do you have to lose. Feed it with an eye dropper. Remember its' gullet is little so a drop or two would be enough every ten or fifteen minutes. Set a timer. I say as long as they're eating and breathing they've got a shot.
But then it is up to you how much effort you want to spend on it. It wouldn't hurt to give it words of encouragement either.

 

[MichiganWoods]

I don't have access to the Poly, but I did just give him/her some sugar water in a syringe. That actually perked him/her way up, and its now able to stand a little bit and rest on its belly. The neck is still crooked, but not as much. I've been gently massaging its neck too. And it's chirping like crazy.

 

[MichiganWoods]

rancher hicks, yeah these little guys hatched out at around 3am this morning. I'm going to keep it up as long as I can, and as long as its showing improvement. So far it is. It's started to actually move about! It couldn't do that before.

 

[daisychick]

Glad to hear it is showing improvement.

 

[CUDA]

I cull anything that hatches with any defect.