baby chick born with his/her head bent back..... what can i do???????

[duckyfromoz]

I had a thiamiine deficient duckling hatch from shipped eggs last year. She was stargazing and flipping over...I will pm you a link to some of my own information I compiled on the condition after speaking to other people who had hacthlings the same.

So sorry to hear you lost this one.. Hope thing go better for you in the future. Its so sad when they go through 28 days in the egg...all that strugle to actually hatch..only to find they are not well..

 

[speckledhen]

So much depends on if it had wry neck, which is fixable most of the time or if it was a skeletal deformity, which I have seen before in a chick shipped to the local feed store from a hatchery (they must have missed that while throwing it into the shipping box).

Sadly, many times, it's best to cull if the cause cannot be determined and fixed, however, it isn't always so cut and dried or the proper course of action easy to determine. Experience can be a harsh teacher with chickens. If a chick isn't eating and drinking on its own by about four days old, it's best to let the little one go on to the Great Roost in the Sky since her yolk has run out by then. I recently did have a chick I thought was blind. She ran right over the feeder, didn't copy the others. It took great effort on our part to teach her to eat and drink, but she did learn by the fifth day and compensated for her eyesight defect (she isn't blind, just has depth perception issues, it seems--she's 14 weeks old).

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Did it starve/ dehydrate to death? Does not seem very peaceful to me. That's the problem people always are thinking they can "fix" their chickens and chics. Well most of the time you can't and in the meantime they are suffering immense pain and torment.

Lighten up! Don't be so danged quick to place your judgments on another. You have no right to be so harsh with someone who was experiencing something like this for the first time and was trying to help the chick. No everything in this world of chickens is a NO WIN situation. So, be polite, helpful and offer your advice and experience without being rude, snitty and aggressive or keep your post withdrawn and to yourself.

To the OP I am so sorry the little one passed away. There are so many things that it could have been or that could have caused it. Sometimes it is neurological and others fiable with vitamins and etc. You did the best you could but the chick was just not supposed to be here. In future, keep poly-vi-sol infant drops without iron on hand. It is good to put a few drops in their water the first day or so. It really can make a difference.

Thank you for saying this Cetawin. I reported his post to the admins because I thought it was totally inappropriate and almost said something in my post but thought it better I hold my tongue so I didn't get reported, lol. What I had to say wasn't as polite as your reply

As a person who takes in special need chickens and spends endless hours trying to help them and help others going through issues I have been through already, I was deeply offended.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
I agree with this and should have been more specific in my reply about the vitamins. Definitely a chick or chicken not eating or drinking on their own has more problems than just the wry neck and most likely will not live long since I have found it so hard to teach the little ones to eat and drink. The one I'm working with now does eat and drink on her own but if that were not the case, I would definitely cull.

 

[Cetawin]

No problem ZooMummyz, it irritated me as well.

 

[floppsie]

thank you again to all who helped me and floppsie! im just very sad it was too late, after reading all your post i was so very hopeful, i had been puting him/her up to eat and drink, but i guess it wasnt enough, i never saw him/her try it on their own.
i have raised and hatched chickens both in incubator and the old fashioned way for years now and i have never seen this. i did get the vitamins today i have 4 chicks siting on eggs in our barn now and are due to hatch next week.

i would also like to specially thank cetawin for what you had to say, it was very thoughful and kind....... you have a very kind soul!!!!

as for jjparke im sorry im not a perfect as you are, may you find in your soul to have more respect for others who are just trying to give one of gods creatures a chance at a happy and healthy life.

 

[Cetawin]

*blushing* thank you. I have been called many things but not often is "kind" one of them. I admit that I do not usually show such restraint when I reply to rudeness. Maybe I am getting soft in my old age

When you have time or take a little time each day, read the raising baby chicks threads and the emergencies, illnesses etc thread especially. There is always tons of valuable information there. And don't be afraid to use that search option at the top of the page...it is a really help in finding things.

 

[dipence71]

I recently had a chick hatch with a crooked neck and first thing I did was hop on here to see what others had to say. Some were for culling some for trying. I read the info I found and made my own decision, I worked with the little one with sugar water and neck massage. Now other than the pink dot on its head (I used a highlighter and marked it so I could track its progress) you cannot tell it apart from the others.

So I made my own choice to try and it worked out well with the chick.

On the other hand, I got a rabbit from the pet store and I believe it had snuffles and if I took him back(and get my $ back of over $30) it would most likely be culled. But I chose to try to help him. Unfortunately he did not make it, but he did have a happy loved life while he was here and will be missed by his best friend my daughter. I just wish responsible breeders would take care of said issue or give a proper heads up so you can take care of it before it goes to far, so it does not break a little girls heart who fell in love with the bunny.

There is a difference in helping babies you hatch or breed, vs pawning them off on a pet store that charges an arm and leg for the critter......

Sorry I will get off my soap box now.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[AdrienMarie]

I also had a chick born like this, we named him Runt. I, after a day or so, got him to drink with a baby's medicine dropper, and that seemed to get him jump started. Runt finally started eating and after a week his neck started straightening up, he's doing great now. Kudos to you for trying! It's easy to take the quick way out and toss a baby chick to the side, but it's much more rewarding to know you did everything you could to help them out, even if it doesn't always have a happy ending.

 

[ZooMummzy]

I think it is so hard when they don't learn to eat or drink on their own, but I still feel they deserve a chance. You did good even though the outcome wasn't. Next time

That is what I always say. Lol of course I have about 4 cages of special need chickens right now, but who's really counting?

Each one is so rewarding and special that I never mind taking on another one just in case I can give it a chance at life. We just discovered our little Barred Rock star gazer chick is also blind. I think she might see shadows but not much more. She can see my hand and is slowly learning that it will not hurt her like the cat's paw! The others run, but she doesn't which is how we figured it all out. Her neck straightens out when she isn't stressed, but I don't think it will ever be normal. She knows my voice now and comes running to the door of the cage when she hears it. Not sure which special chicken she will live with, but probably one of them.