Keeperofmunchkins
Songster
One of my hens is broody so I gave her some eggs. Only one turned out to develop to full term.
I noticed a lot of the time when she would get off the nest each day for her break, she would return to the wrong nest. I have four nest boxes and have never had a problem with broodies not going back to their eggs before. Even this hen hatched eggs earlier this year and did not have trouble finding the right nest.
Anyway after finding the eggs cold several times I got worried and moved the one good egg into my incubator to hatch. On day 23 it finally started hatching and seemed to be having trouble so I helped it out of the shell.
I noticed right away that it's toes were very curled under and inward and that it was very weak plus kept shivering/vibrating it's head and neck when it tried to stand.
I have given it some sugar water with poultry vitamins and made it some shoes to straighten the toes. It is now a day and a half old and it is able to stand only sort of crouching, ie not fully stretched up on its legs. Also because of the chick shoes it keeps rolling over onto its back or side and cannot get up.
Is there anything more I can do for it? Will its toes still straighten out of it is not walking on its feet and spends all the time upside down?
I noticed a lot of the time when she would get off the nest each day for her break, she would return to the wrong nest. I have four nest boxes and have never had a problem with broodies not going back to their eggs before. Even this hen hatched eggs earlier this year and did not have trouble finding the right nest.
Anyway after finding the eggs cold several times I got worried and moved the one good egg into my incubator to hatch. On day 23 it finally started hatching and seemed to be having trouble so I helped it out of the shell.
I noticed right away that it's toes were very curled under and inward and that it was very weak plus kept shivering/vibrating it's head and neck when it tried to stand.
I have given it some sugar water with poultry vitamins and made it some shoes to straighten the toes. It is now a day and a half old and it is able to stand only sort of crouching, ie not fully stretched up on its legs. Also because of the chick shoes it keeps rolling over onto its back or side and cannot get up.
Is there anything more I can do for it? Will its toes still straighten out of it is not walking on its feet and spends all the time upside down?