Christmas Setting - First Hatch

[DaybreakOrps]

Just to be clear I don't know a darn thing about anything! I am a newbie with the only information I have is from books, y'all and you tube videos!

I have read that the Buff Orpingtons are not reliably wing sexed but that sometimes the females are more obvious with alternating length wing feathers. I vent sexed them and they certainly looked obvious, but I will check them again today. It really doesn't matter as it looks like we are only going to have the 3 hatch out of this batch, so it wouldn't matter if they were all roos to the kids. We went back and confirmed with our notes that the super cold week was the week they quit developing. I still have the rest in the bator but have no hope that they will hatch out. I am already looking for more eggs to try again!

BUT ..........we have another problem. AnnaBelle (a/k/a #21) has messed up legs. I left her in the brooder with the others because she seems quite capable of holding her own with Chuck and Bessie and she was fine this morning (albeit asleep on her back). However, she still isn't standing and seems to waddle like a duck to move about, which is an improvement but still not going to cut it. The joint on her left leg seemed to be stuck and I have manipulated it to the point that it popped. Her toes are curled under and she seems to be able to use that foot well.

Any suggestions?

 

[DaybreakOrps]

Tragedy............my golden retriever jumped up to look at the chicks and knocked the bator off in the floor. 10 babies dead. They were alive but super immature. SO we start over applying what we have learned and taking care of our special needs chicken.

 

[Pyxis]

Oh no! So sorry For AnnaBella, it may be a dislocated hock tendon, which can be hard to fix and would explain why she couldn't turn to get out of the egg. I had a silkie hatch with both dislocated and despite my efforts, I couldn't get it fixed and had to put the little thing down, as it wasn't eating or drinking and couldn't get around at all. You might be able to fix it, though. Here's a link with the info:

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

Scroll down to Slipped Achilles Tendon to find treatment options.

 

[DaybreakOrps]

I read that last night and popped it back this morning and continue to work the joint throughout the day. She is getting around a little better. She has eaten a bit and I have put her up to drink and she drinks fine although not interested in figuring out how to do it on her own. She can waddle around to find the right temperature and unfortunately she is the prettiest of the 3. I just don't know how she will fair longterm, but at least she is doing well now.

 

[Purpletie3]

Tragedy............my golden retriever jumped up to look at the chicks and knocked the bator off in the floor.  10 babies dead.  They were alive but super immature.  SO we start over applying what we have learned and taking care of our special needs chicken.

Awwee Daybreak. I am sooooo sorry. Musta broke your heart.

 

[Purpletie3]

Just to be clear I don't know a darn thing about anything!  I am a newbie with the only information I have is from books, y'all and you tube videos!    I have read that the Buff Orpingtons are not reliably wing sexed but that sometimes the females are more obvious with alternating length wing feathers.  I vent sexed them and they certainly looked obvious, but I will check them again today.  It really doesn't matter as it looks like we are only going to have the 3 hatch out of this batch, so it wouldn't matter if they were all roos to the kids.  We went back and confirmed with our notes that the super cold week was the week they quit developing.  I still have the rest in the bator but have no hope that they will hatch out.  I am already looking for more eggs to try again!

BUT ..........we have another problem.  AnnaBelle (a/k/a #21) has messed up legs.  I left her in the brooder with the others because she seems quite capable of holding her own with Chuck and Bessie and she was fine this morning (albeit asleep on her back).  However, she still isn't standing and seems to waddle like a duck to move about, which is an improvement but still not going to cut it.  The joint on her left leg seemed to be stuck and I have manipulated it to the point that it popped.  Her toes are curled under and she seems to be able to use that foot well.

Any suggestions?

I am pretty sure you can tape the curled toes. There should be a section on here about that.

 

[DaybreakOrps]

I think the curled toes may just be a result of her holding it. I checked it again and it popped a little bit. It was stiff before I started working it. I don't want to cull her, but am I being selfish?

 

[DaybreakOrps]

Chuck and Bessie and progressing fabulously in my homemade cardboard box brooder on my kitchen island. Their personalities have developed already! Bessie really, really needs human interaction. I think because they are in the kitchen in the center of everything getting petted constantly they are social chickens! However, Bessie is certain that I am her mother and is happiest when snuggling with me on the chair. She has already started her campaign not to end up in the freezer if she ends up being a rooster! Every night she peeps as loudly as she can to get me to come back into the kitchen. Our cat has taken on the role of babysitter when they start peeping, although she scares the heck out of them!

Annabelle's leg is making progress. The leg is very bruised under her thigh feathers, but the joint is now moving freely. She isn't putting any weight on it but it is not longer curled up around her body. I put a splint on it and tried to immobilize it but that was causing more trauma than leaving it alone. She is not sickly or weak and she was putting up a good fight with the splint! So I am going to continue stretching the muscle 4 times a day and see how it goes. I have decided to reevaluate her at 2 weeks and not cull her until at least then unless something changes drastically.

I am keeping a humidifier running next to their brooder to combat the dry winter air and they seem extremely comfortable. I change the pad in their box daily so it is a clean space, for now.

 

[Purpletie3]

Daybreak...you sound like me with the chicks in the kitchen. I have four silkies in a large wooden box on my table. I had them in a large fish tank but they outgrew it. I like the glass tank with the Brinsea brooder. They can see us and get used to people. They watch as I cook from one side of the brooder. Hysterical!

 

[DaybreakOrps]

Mine are not only used to people they peep when we go away! I have ordered more eggs so, I will keep you updated! I think I should have named this thread "Tales of a First Timer"!