crippled coturnix at hatch

[Chickhick]

My coturnix started hatching yesterday. They were shipped eggs from 2 diferent places, and I'm pleased that most of them are doing well.

There are 5, however, that are crippled. One always has his neck bent tightly one direction. Another is spraddle legged. And 3 others just have no strength in their legs and just scoot around without standing up at all.

Should I just go ahead and cull these now?

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
I use small yogurt containers if they are spraddle legged when first born I also put a piece of shelf liner in the cup it kina forces them to push up instead of their legs being able to spread it is breyers brand yogurt tiny cups

 

[Chickhick]

Quote:
I use small yogurt containers if they are spraddle legged when first born I also put a piece of shelf liner in the cup it kina forces them to push up instead of their legs being able to spread it is breyers brand yogurt tiny cups

I don't understand what I'm supposed to do with the yogurt containers.

Could you elaborate?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
I use small yogurt containers if they are spraddle legged when first born I also put a piece of shelf liner in the cup it kina forces them to push up instead of their legs being able to spread it is breyers brand yogurt tiny cups

I don't understand what I'm supposed to do with the yogurt containers.

Could you elaborate?

Put something in the bottom of the cup so they can't slip and put the chick in the cup.

As for the ones with weak legs, I would give them a drop of Poly-Vi-Sol infant vitamins w/out iron, that should give them a boost. The one with the crooked neck might have just had a hard time hatching and has a 'cramp'...it could straighten out or it could stay that way, not much you can do about it.

 

[Chickhick]

How will the chick eat or drink if it is sitting in a cup?

 

[FeatheredObsessions]

I don't think that they will do well from the sounds of it. They have to be able to get to food and water constantly. Did they hatch late? Have good humidity?

 

[Chickhick]

I had 2 batches that were put in the incubators a few days days apart, but they started hatching the same day... day 16 for one batch and day 18 for the other. Humidity was between 40% and 50% (usually 42% to 45%) until lockdown when I raised the humidity to over 60%. They were shipped eggs, so there may have been trauma before I got them. I'm happier with the humidity than I am with the temperature. This was my first time to transfer the eggs into the Brower Top Hatch as my hatcher at lock down. (I only used it for one of the batches, the smaller batch stayed in the Brinsea.) Incubation temperatures were right on the money, but the Top Hatch was harder to regulate, so it was up and down during the hatch for one of the batches.

I think I'm going to cull 3 of them, and wait to see if there is any improvement in the other 2. I do have 19 perfectly healthy ones, though, so I'm really happy with the hatch overall.

Most hatched yesterday, but 2 more hatched today. On what day should I do the "float test" to determine if the hatch is truly over?

 

[steved]

If you bring the birds leg’s up to its chest and wrap scotch tape around its entire body, holding the legs next to its chest and leave it on for 8 to 12 hours it should respond. This emulates it having to kick out of a shell, thus building up the leg muscles. Don't worry about it eating or drinking, they can go for a couple of days after a hatch. This has worked for me several times now. If it doesn’t respond the first time or kicks out of the tape prematurely repeat.

 

[Robo]

Are the culls from my eggs? Anyway is it spraddle leg or a deformity?

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
ussally the ones I have used this with get out of the cup on there own in 4-6 hours I do it as soon as they are born. I think the if you wait longer then 72 hours the tendons get set, and what I described is of little use.