We hatched some Pekin chicks on the 11th November. (Easy to remember, being the day before my b'day, haha!)
We've had some before that when they're in the incubator, they don't walk, they just stick their legs out in front and flail with them frantically. I've fixed them in the past using twisty-ties from rubbish bags, but this time I'm having no luck.
I first put them on for 48 hours, it was walking fine, so I took them off. 3 hours later, it was walking like it was paddling, so I put them back on for another 2 days. Same thing again. Next time I left it on 3 days. Took it off, few hours later again walking like it's paddling. Left it on for another 4, same again. (at 7 days I changed to a pipe cleaner. Much easier to put on and take off, and the fuzziness is less rubbing on the legs)
It walks just fine while it has the hobbles on, and for a few hours after, but it just refuses to stay fixed. They've all been on sand since they were 5 days old in a fishtank. Being summer, it's way too hot for them to be anywhere else, and sawdust seems to make them hot. The other 10 chicks are racing around with no problems, it's just this one. I've even put a non-slip mat over half of the sand, and it has some better success walking on that, but it doesn't last.
Do I just keep the hobbles on for longer periods of time? I'd really rather not have to cull this one. It's one of the 5 girls out of the 11 chicks, and a very pretty colour. I've been thinking of using fishtank gravel instead of the sand. They're far too small to eat it. Could that help with traction for this chick?
We've had some before that when they're in the incubator, they don't walk, they just stick their legs out in front and flail with them frantically. I've fixed them in the past using twisty-ties from rubbish bags, but this time I'm having no luck.
I first put them on for 48 hours, it was walking fine, so I took them off. 3 hours later, it was walking like it was paddling, so I put them back on for another 2 days. Same thing again. Next time I left it on 3 days. Took it off, few hours later again walking like it's paddling. Left it on for another 4, same again. (at 7 days I changed to a pipe cleaner. Much easier to put on and take off, and the fuzziness is less rubbing on the legs)
It walks just fine while it has the hobbles on, and for a few hours after, but it just refuses to stay fixed. They've all been on sand since they were 5 days old in a fishtank. Being summer, it's way too hot for them to be anywhere else, and sawdust seems to make them hot. The other 10 chicks are racing around with no problems, it's just this one. I've even put a non-slip mat over half of the sand, and it has some better success walking on that, but it doesn't last.
Do I just keep the hobbles on for longer periods of time? I'd really rather not have to cull this one. It's one of the 5 girls out of the 11 chicks, and a very pretty colour. I've been thinking of using fishtank gravel instead of the sand. They're far too small to eat it. Could that help with traction for this chick?
