Day 21 and no pips

[Tvan18]

I don't know if it's related to omphalitis, or could lead to it - but what I generally do is to remove the chick to a clean environment with paper towels, where it is isolated and other chicks can't disturb it. The trailing cord and membrane will dry up and fall off on its own. If the chick seems to have trouble with it, AND it's clearly NOT actively absorbing yolk, then I snip the cord with a sterile pair of scissors.

Will a heating pad be enough to keep it warm since it is still half wet? I have a heat lamp, but it is quite large as it is hung above my brooder in the garage and I don’t think I could find a safe place to keep it in the house with my 3 girls 3yrs and under.

 

[Tvan18]

Sorry I haven't been keeping up - chores, you know. Good to know it made it without much assistance! The navel should close shortly. You can dab some antibiotic ointment on it to help prevent infection. The maran, too.

Totally understandable! I was actually gone this morning for my older daughters First Communion practice. Busy weekend here!

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Will a heating pad be enough to keep it warm since it is still half wet? I have a heat lamp, but it is quite large as it is hung above my brooder in the garage and I don’t think I could find a safe place to keep it in the house with my 3 girls 3yrs and under.

No, a heating pad probably won't be enough. I should have been more clear. If you don't have a separate small brooder to move them to, then make a separation area within your chick brooder, or inside the incubator. Just put down a layer or two of paper towels so they don't drag their bellies across the mesh floor, and make a little 'fence' out of folded cardboard, storage containers, anything - to keep other chicks away for awhile.

 

[Tvan18]

How do you identify splay leg? This chick can’t stand it flops around. Also keeps its wings out like that, doesn’t pull them in. And it’s neck stays curved around to the right, contributing to its inability to stand and move around.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

How many hours since it hatched? They do a lot of weird things just after hatching as their bodies work out the kinks and learn how to work their muscles and tendons. It *should* be moving around normally after 6-8 hours or so.

If the chick can't stand up, falls over, and one or both legs are stuck out to the sides, it may be splayed leg (or spraddle leg). If it seems to want to look down between its legs or up and over its back, it may be wry neck. Both are caused by several issues - nutritional deficiency, injury, or improper incubation conditions, among others. Wry neck needs Vitamin E and selenium. Splayed leg needs the legs straightened and fixed, and perhaps a multivitamin containing the B's.

If it's been more than, say, 4 hours with no improvement, then it's maybe not too soon to start some treatment. You can give it some Nutri-Drench or Poly-Visol (without iron) for a vitamin cocktail with a punch. Give it undiluted on a q-tip to the side or tip of the beak; it will swallow. Do this 3-4 times a day for a day or two.

For spraddle leg, you can either use the cup method:
https://104homestead.com/fixing-spraddle-leg-drinking-glass/
Or wrap a bandaid or vet wrap around the legs:
https://blog.meyerhatchery.com/2019/09/spraddle-leg-causes-and-treatment/
Most people use the bandaid or vet wrap method with success.

I had a chick recently that couldn't stand up, just fell over, and seemed to not have good use of one leg. So instead of tying the legs with a bandaid or vet wrap, I used a tea cup with a piece of paper towel pressed into the bottom, and a piece of vet wrap stretched over the cup to make a hammock, or sling, with holes for the legs, for the chick to stand up in. Then I put another strip across the chick's back to hold it in the cup. It could stand with its feet on the paper towel, but couldn't get out. It tried, thereby strengthening its legs; and that was the point. I made little cups for food and water, and taped those to the rim of the cup over the handle, within easy reach, so it could eat (scrambled egg and chick starter) and drink (water with electrolytes). And I dosed with Poly-ViSol. By the next day, it had struggled enough to get itself out of the cup and that was that. Fixed!

 

[Tvan18]

It hatched about 7.5 hours ago. With this late hatching I assume my 99.5 temp was too low and also this was the chick that was malpositioned in its egg. That’s why i am concerned since the other 2 that hatched around the same time are up moving around really well, even the one that had the naval issue.
I do have poly-ViSol,electrolytes for the water, and vet wrap so it would be easy to start doing most of the suggestions you gave me if it’s warranted and I’m not just being an overly concerned first timer haha.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

It hatched about 7.5 hours ago. With this late hatching I assume my 99.5 temp was too low and also this was the chick that was malpositioned in its egg. That’s why i am concerned since the other 2 that hatched around the same time are up moving around really well, even the one that had the naval issue.
I do have poly-ViSol,electrolytes for the water, and vet wrap so it would be easy to start doing most of the suggestions you gave me if it’s warranted and I’m not just being an overly concerned first timer haha.

No, you are not being an overly concerned first timer. After 6 hours, and it's still this way, then YES the sooner you start treatment the better. Band the legs or put it in a cup, AND start Poly-ViSol immediately. Supplement chick starter feed with cooked eggs (white and yolk), and spike their water with electrolytes - good for all of them.

Your temp was not too low. At lockdown through hatching, the chicks are less sensitive to temperature fluctuations than they are to humidity.

 

[Tvan18]

Well, we ended up with a Green Queen/Silkie mix, a Maran, A Rhode Island Red Bantam, a Brabanter x Pav, and an EE. There are still 8 eggs in the incubator but after candling to check I think that at this point, with no pips, movement, Or chirps that it’s time to call it and say my hatch was 35% from the 14 eggs that made it to lock down. 27% if I go from the 18 I started.

It would be the start of Day 25 today. I started another 31 eggs in my new incubator last night and would really like to get this one cleaned if the eggs are beyond a hope of hatching.

 

[Tvan18]

I’m really disappointed none of my Cochins hatched

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Well, we ended up with a Green Queen/Silkie mix, a Maran, A Rhode Island Red Bantam, a Brabanter x Pav, and an EE. There are still 8 eggs in the incubator but after candling to check I think that at this point, with no pips, movement, Or chirps that it’s time to call it and say my hatch was 35% from the 14 eggs that made it to lock down. 27% if I go from the 18 I started.

It would be the start of Day 25 today. I started another 31 eggs in my new incubator last night and would really like to get this one cleaned if the eggs are beyond a hope of hatching.

So sorry you lost so many, but congrats on the five you did get! That photo is just adorable, thanks for sharing it.

It's probably too late for the last 8 eggs. Even if they did hatch now, there's a high likelihood of problems for the chicks. If it were me, I'd toss 'em and get on with the next batch.