Air Membrane Intact After Hatching, Chick w Handicap?

[TwoCrows]

One big happy family. All 11 of them!

MrsB

You have a lovely family!!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[MrsBrooke]

Terrible news.

I woke up on Saturday to find one of our little fluffy fatties, Eloise, had been suffocated under the sleep pile. Very distressing.

Then, later in the evening, I noticed our little breech chick Hercules wasn't doing so well. Completely lethargic, wouldn't move, eat, or drink. He just wanted to sit still in one place, breathe hard, and keep his eyes closed. A few hours later, he passed... I know it's for the best. He was never very strong to begin with. I'm taking comfort in the fact that while Hercules WAS alive, he had as good a life as he could have.

I have the beginnings of a quail cemetery out back under the big oak tree.

If you are going to bring tiny, delicate lives into this world, you'd better understand that death is all a part of it.

MrsB

 

[GrandmaBird]

are they in a brooder? could be too cold

 

[MrsBrooke]

are they in a brooder? could be too cold

They are in a brooder with food, water, branches, dirt, a brooder lamp, and a thermometer showing the temp at 93-95 degrees for Week 1. I don't think they are too cold... They rarely make those "alarm" peeps (and when they do, they quiet down almost immediately)... If they were cold, wouldn't they be peeping loud all the time?

The big one I found that morning looked "flattened," but I didn't see the pile. I just assumed that's what it was. It could have just been Sudden Chick Death Syndrome?

My little Hercules never was right. He hatched out of the wrong end, and his air membrane was still intact, so I know he pipped incorrectly. He was the only one that I could tell was struggling. I gave him sugar water, a little yogurt, and loved him as best I could, but he still didn't make it.

The remaining nine all seem to be thriving... They're getting wing, tail and shoulder feathers at Day Five. Here's to hoping those two will be the only tragedies this go around.

Thank you for your post, GrandmaBird.

MrsB