Crazy bent neck on late hatch chicks

[k1parker]

A number of years ago I had to help a chick hatch who pipped and then got stuck. Her neck was crooked (I assume because it stayed bent over in the egg a day or 2 too long). I tried all sorts of physical therapy on her in my "Chicku" but she always had a crazy bent neck and could spin her head like a possessed chicken. (We named her Qwazzie) I fed her for the first month or so, then she was able to eat. Anyway, I just helped a stuck chick again, she had only been pipped for 24 hours when I helped her out but she "hatched" 60 hours after the other 2 in her batch. She now also has splay leg, which Qwazzie didn't, but I have never read about this happening to anyone else and it has happened twice to me. Anyone else?

 

[lazy gardener]

Often the late hatchers have problems. If these late hatchers were in a broody nest, she would have taken the earlier chicks off the nest and been long gone, teaching her viable babies how to forage for their grub. The late hatchers would have died in the shell.

Along come you and I and we assist with those late hatches. Sometimes all is well. Other times, not so much. Any chick who does not come around after 2 - 3 days of reasonable interventions gets culled from my flock.

Wry neck can be treated with Vitamin E and Selenium.

Curled toes and sometimes splay leg can be treated with splinting.

I've never had success with unabsorbed yolk sack.

The best thing we can do is try to prevent these issues in the first place:

Put breeding flock on good protein diet and multi vits for at least 2 weeks before collecting eggs. Collect the best eggs from your best hens for hatching.

Calibrate your thermometers and hygrometer. Maintain correct incubation temp for your bator (forced air 99.5, still air 102) Use humidity to ensure that your air cells are the correct size.

Poor incubation temp and humidity contribute to congenital abnormalities.

 

[k1parker]

Thanks, the neck has straightened out but the legs are going back and won't stay under her. I splinted them so they stay together but she can't stand. I hold her and force feed her but...
I like all of your advice, I am hatching chicks from mail order so it is a bit of a crap shoot. I did pretty well with temps and humidity this time (I think) but only had 2 normal hatch and this one with all the malformations.