Concerned about baby pea

[StellaBlue81]

Well I hatched one peachick in the incubator only to find out my peahen is sitting on a nest of at least 6 pea eggs. I had to assist the baby pea in hatching. It got to a point where it hadnt made any progress in almost 30 hours and I could see it breathing and struggling. I had a panic attack, read the great post on assisted hatching and did it. The yolk was absorbed and there was no blood. However he did have some pretty crooked toes. I made him little shoes and taped its toes straight and after a day and a half his right foot was correct. I put a new one on his left and he walks/runs around great now. I am perplexed though...he doesn't make any sound unless I pick him up he will peep twice but not your normal constant peachick noise and I find this concerning. Am I just worrying over nothing or should I be concerned?

 

[sourland]

As long as he is eating, drinking, and growing I see no cause for concern,

 

[StellaBlue81]

I still have it's left foot taped and it gets around just fine. It's been eating and drinking just not eating a lot right now.

 

[Garden Peas]

You might try taking the tape/shoe off and seeing whether it is still needed. Also, it's really helpful to massage and stretch the toes with your hands periodically.

How old is this chick now? What does the belly look like? Is it walking properly or are there issues with how it is standing and walking? Is it pooping? Can you post some pictures of it?

 

[casportpony]

I still have it's left foot taped and it gets around just fine. It's been eating and drinking just not eating a lot right now.

Get yourself a digital kitchen scale and start weighing it. By 10 days of age they should weigh ~80 to 100 grams, and should gain no less than 5% of their body weight per day.

-Kathy

 

[Garden Peas]

Hey @StellaBlue81 , how's your little one coming along?

Hope he's eating these days!

 

[StellaBlue81]

He seems to be doing well. I unwrapped his foot. He's definitely getting around much better. He still doesn't do the normal peachick peeping all the time. He peeps when I pick him up once or twice but very quiet other than that. I put a little teddy bear in the broader with him and he loves it!!! He jumps on it, pecks it, and sleeps with it. He's just over a week old now and eats and drinks with no problem!!

 

[Garden Peas]

He seems to be doing well. I unwrapped his foot. He's definitely getting around much better. He still doesn't do the normal peachick peeping all the time. He peeps when I pick him up once or twice but very quiet other than that. I put a little teddy bear in the broader with him and he loves it!!! He jumps on it, pecks it, and sleeps with it. He's just over a week old now and eats and drinks with no problem!!

Yaay!!!

If the foot still isn't straight, you can keep stretching the toes and perhaps tape again. Sounds like he is doing very well. Great job!!!

 

[StellaBlue81]

Thanks!! Can you elaborate on the stretching please? I uploaded pics but don't see them on here

 

[Garden Peas]

Thanks!! Can you elaborate on the stretching please? I uploaded pics but don't see them on here

What I do is hold the peachick and gently move/stretch the toes, using my fingers. Sometimes the tendons are tight and don't allow the joints to open up all the way. I don't use any major force -- don't want to tear anything or cause injury -- but I find that if I gently stretch and bend the toes/feet, that it helps get them unstuck or uncurled... I may repeat several times and then do it again awhile later in the day. It seems as though doing it repeatedly, along with shoes when needed, helps a lot.

I've also had a number of chicks this year that I thought might need shoes, but gentle stretching and good footing kept most of them out of shoes. But I have one in shoes right now, so it doesn't cure every case.