Chick just hatched and isn't acting like they normally do.

[Pinx]

So I had guessed that my chicks weren't going to hatch until friday. The hen was sitting on them and about half way through I took them from her and put my Serama eggs under her. I put hers in the incubator and pulled all but 2, 2 clears and a blood ring. After supper my husbands friend informed me that one was hatching, turner still going, hadn't raised the humidity or anything. So I took the turner out and added a little water and he hatched about an hour later.

Well he won't shut up, constant peeping... and his beak is tucked in towards his chest. He also has one leg that he keeps pulled up to his chest and the other is kicking constantly.

All the others I have had sort of flail around but not rolled up in a ball like this. I did check to see if maybe he was sticky and his leg and neck were stuck to him but they aren't.

So is this kind of normal? Or is there something wrong with him?

 

[PAPACABOT]

id give him some time, i had one that had one leg up for about a day and slept for almost a day.

 

[Pinx]

Ok thanks. I was hoping time would help him get everything worked out. Just wanted to know if there was something wrong or not.

Another question. I candled the other egg in the bator with him and it isn't any good. So he will be the only one in the brooder if I don't put him under a hen. I checked on one of my hens eggs that is the same batch that he came out of and 1 of them was clear, either she laid it since I candled or she had it hidden when I candled. Anyway there are 3 eggs under her now that you can feel moving in the egg when you pick them up. No pips or eternal pips, but they are definately alive in there. Would it totally mess everything up if I put this chick under her? They just had to many eggs so I put some in the bator, so the eggs under her should be hatching pretty soon.

How do I go about putting the chick under her and her take it?

Edited to clarify:

I have 2 broody hens, one of them is on my Serama eggs and the other are on some of the eggs that her and the other hen were brooding together. In order to get the Serama eggs under one I had to take the eggs she had because the other hen couldn't fit anymore under her. After candling later I was able to cut the egg numbers down by half at least. Not great fertility this time around.

 

[PAPACABOT]

i hatch mine in an incubator, but from what i have read is you can put them in under the hen at night, but you want to make sure she dont leave the others that she is sitting on. If they are moving in the egg, you probably only have a couple more days. If the others hear him too early they might try to hatch earlier... Id wait till you see some pips in the eggs. then put him in there

 

[Pinx]

Ok Thank you. I didn't know it might make the others want to hatch early. I will wait until at least one pips/hatches.

 

[PAPACABOT]

hows your chicken doing today ? any progress

 

[Pinx]

He/she is doing good. He finally figured everything out and is moving around like a normal chick.

The next morning I went and checked my broody and 2 of her eggs had hatched over night so I went out on a limb and put my incubator chick with her. I think she would take care of a kitten if it snuggled up to her lol. She took to him in fine and that day her last egg hatched. All 4 chicks are identical (not usually the case with that cross, I've gotten whites, blues, and blacks) and I couldn't even tell you now which chick I put under her.

So all is well, i'm just happy I am not baby sitting a lone chick and happy that everyone is happy and healthy

 

[PAPACABOT]

Good to hear that, I have a chick that had a really bad start, with the yolk sack and intestines coming out, and I patched him or her up and now its been 2 weeks and I cant tell which one it was at all except it was one of the three black australarps. Glad to hear everyone is getting along. Sometimes the mother hen will sense things wrong with a chick and abandon it. So you have to be careful but Im glad it all worked out good. I still have another 4 days before I go into lock down again. Cant wait to see what I get out of this batch of silkies.