Deformed or weak and spread legs issues

[Xzryual]

The chicks should be on some form of crumble unless you are also offering grit on the side - grit that does not contain calcium. But really, they struggle to get anything big down when they are very small. - generally, the hen would crumble the food for them.
If you do have pullets that have just come into lay in your flock, you should refrain from hatching their eggs until they've reached a decent size, which will likely take a few months - this can also lead to deformities and death in the egg.

Ok they get crumble omg I didbt say right word. I add grit from the ocean I rinse in well water and air turn dry then add it to feedings. Forums frustrating me, and the last part I agree but I'm caring for them I dont own them. My job is to hatch and raise chickens for a place to live.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I've had eggs swallow chicks and suffocate them with goop when they make first opening. Another issue is the ones come out week and deformed have just died. They wont eat and I help em drink till dead. What can I do. I been told I could put them down so they dont suffer. I've put down 12 now and unless I know it is right thing to do I'm very sad. Plz help I cried

my landord says la fleche are weak from young hens is can happen

Its the sprawled legs ones die. And ive experience much lethargic bc of storm time and learned about it then as well as found hot spot where one used to cold gets lethargic

I had 100% successful raise for 2 months then since we had the storm several weeks ago ive been having this problems. SHOULD I PUT DOWN DEFORMED CHICKS so they dont suffer?

Organic feed my landord supplies.

Again this is all the sudden happening since the snow storm and my main concern is should I put down the deformed? What else can I do? I drown them in cold water and try not to think about it. About 50% have had this problem for 3 weeks now and 12 is about how many drown.

I'm sorry you are facing this.

Can you tell us if you are in the US?
Tell us a bit more please - the flock you are hatching the chicks from is yours, but this is your job to hatch chicks. Are you supplying chicks to an individual or company for re-sale, for production, meat, etc.?
Your Landlord/Boss (?) I would assume has a say in the quality of chicks. If the chicks are for breeding, re-sale, production, etc. then likely a deformity would be an automatic cull, but it depends on business practices/guidelines.

A lot of folks may not agree - but personally, if the chicks are not thriving and they have deformities, then I would cull. Chickens that have deformities should not be used for breeding and they may later on have more developmental/production issues. That said, 12 chicks is a lot to cull, so ask your Boss/Landlord to help you make some decisions on that.

I absolutely understand culling very hard thing to do. I'll provide a couple of links that may help make the process a bit easier on you mentally. I do use a knife to cut the head off, but in one article a good sharp pair of scissors is used (the article is tastefully done). The other link provides information about how to make a quick and simple CO2 chamber - this is more hands off, but if you have multiple chicks that need to be culled, it would be easier on you and more humane for the chicks than drowning them.

Deformities can be caused by so many things. If you are using pullet eggs, this could be part of the problem. You mentioned a couple of times you were having 100% success rate until there was a snow storm a while back - this may give a clue as well. What happened during the snow storm - did you lose power, maybe the electrical circuit to the incubator was damaged? Humidity and temperature changed. I agree, re-calibrating the incubator is a good idea. Using eggs from parent stock that is mature, well feed and that has been given vitamins for a week before eggs are collected may also be helpful.
I'm not a breeder nor nutrition expert, but sitting down and comparing what has changed may get you back on track.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-for-squeamish-people-slightly-graphic.74734/https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ping-block-or-kill-cone.1333246/post-21777555

 

[Xzryual]

I'm sorry you are facing this.

Can you tell us if you are in the US?
Tell us a bit more please - the flock you are hatching the chicks from is yours, but this is your job to hatch chicks. Are you supplying chicks to an individual or company for re-sale, for production, meat, etc.?
Your Landlord/Boss (?) I would assume has a say in the quality of chicks. If the chicks are for breeding, re-sale, production, etc. then likely a deformity would be an automatic cull, but it depends on business practices/guidelines.

A lot of folks may not agree - but personally, if the chicks are not thriving and they have deformities, then I would cull. Chickens that have deformities should not be used for breeding and they may later on have more developmental/production issues. That said, 12 chicks is a lot to cull, so ask your Boss/Landlord to help you make some decisions on that.

I absolutely understand culling very hard thing to do. I'll provide a couple of links that may help make the process a bit easier on you mentally. I do use a knife to cut the head off, but in one article a good sharp pair of scissors is used (the article is tastefully done). The other link provides information about how to make a quick and simple CO2 chamber - this is more hands off, but if you have multiple chicks that need to be culled, it would be easier on you and more humane for the chicks than drowning them.

Deformities can be caused by so many things. If you are using pullet eggs, this could be part of the problem. You mentioned a couple of times you were having 100% success rate until there was a snow storm a while back - this may give a clue as well. What happened during the snow storm - did you lose power, maybe the electrical circuit to the incubator was damaged? Humidity and temperature changed. I agree, re-calibrating the incubator is a good idea. Using eggs from parent stock that is mature, well feed and that has been given vitamins for a week before eggs are collected may also be helpful.
I'm not a breeder nor nutrition expert, but sitting down and comparing what has changed may get you back on track.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-for-squeamish-people-slightly-graphic.74734/https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ping-block-or-kill-cone.1333246/post-21777555

Ok lot of text on my lil phone so I'll try to answer and delete quote. The chicks are for meat and eggs. If a friend wants they can buy them covering cost. and bc I'm on fixed income of 200 a month my landlord has given me half the sale price I didnt want any bc grateful I'm here. I stopped smoking cigarette since here and my budget. Yes we lost power for half a day. Couldnt get temps above 85° bc so cold outside. Then 92 for a week. The barn is a bnb so yes deformed looks bad to the ultra assholes that come through. Grrr at humans and that crap. Ok where was I. Oh yeah lifes good. Ok I see what the deforms could be problems in people not want eggs or breed etc and he does not want to waste his money on my morals. So I have to cull these and that realize is sad bc I really like some. They are very friendly birds as they grow up so far. The rooster is a jerk though. He attacked me 3 times so I wear a soft hat and bopped him. He thought about it a time or two and I took my hat off and he ran. I didnt raise that flock but I feed and gather the eggs. Le Fléché (prolly inbred problem).
I dont want to cut off heads and ur the second to suggest. I get them cold and hang out with them so they stay calm and go sleep. When so lathargic I get cold water and hold em. Takes 30 seconds never a wrestling. Just some twitch and bubbles. Maybe a tear or two but I'm ok with this it's just hard and I'm a lonely person. Sad bc Mr feet isnt going to recover and the other going down soon. I'll let Mr feet wait for landlord to say something bc he her it is already a week older. I know he gonna tell me to down it. Bah

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yes we lost power for half a day. Couldnt get temps above 85° bc so cold outside. Then 92 for a week

I'm sorry you are in this situation. It must be heartbreaking.
I hope the next batch is better.

If the chicks are thriving, then see how it goes. Crooked toes a lot of times is due to problems with incubation, but I would not hatch eggs from a bird that has crooked toes just in case it's a genetic defect. If they are used to produce eggs, then raising them for production may be fine - I just would not use the eggs for hatching.

Try to get some poultry vitamins - I like Poultry Cell, but Poultry Nutri-Drench is also good. Give each chick 2-3 drops twice a day to give them a boost.

I think you found your main problem with this particular hatch - you lost power, then struggled to get temps back up - this would have caused big problems with your hatch. It's very sad, but not being able to get the temps stabilized and back up quickly, personally I think that's what went wrong. I would still re-check calibration and if it's possible, maybe move the incubator to an area with a more constant temperature so if you did lose power or temperatures (outside) get cold, then those would not affect your hatch.

 

[Xzryual]

I really didn't want to put Mr face down bc its normal so far and doing great but I know my landlord be very upset if I don't do his best interests. So the Le Fléché are very small eggs and small weak birds normally. Known for high quality meat/ eggs and he eats them. I never tasted one. I think he may start marketing them when ready but we dont even have 50 birds. The neighbors keep buying them up. Everybody eating good on this side of island I just get eggs jajaja. I had 48 birds and got 3 dozen eggs a day now only 8 eggs a day since storm and feed issue. So far only suggested about cut off head but no struggle drowning. I'll keep try to raise them and if beyond a month more of bad Le Fléché I'm going to have to refuse. I get 2 a day from them and they are over 8months old I think.

 

[Fluffyflufffluff]

Ok sad question. I've had eggs swallow chicks and suffocate them with goop when they make first opening. Another issue is the ones come out week and deformed have just died. They wont eat and I help em drink till dead. What can I do. I been told I could put them down so they dont suffer. I've put down 12 now and unless I know it is right thing to do I'm very sad. Plz help I criedView attachment 2014727View attachment 2014729

Im sorry about the chicks. I guess... Thats the right thing to do. they look really out of shape and might not survive for long. If you really know that they will just suffer, and you dont want them to. better end it.