Did I kill a baby chick?

[plb91780]

I had 4 silkies hatch yesterday. 3 were fully dry. While the 4th was hatching the others were pecking it in the face so I took the dry babies out and put them in a canvas tote under a heat lamp. They were all huddled together so I lowered the lamp. I put the kids to bed and came down to the first hatchling belly up in the tote. One other is now flapping its wings and shuffling its feet but not actually going anywhere, kind of in circles. Im terrified that got too warm and that killed one and caused braind damage in another. Is there any other possible explanation?

 

[Achelois]

I'm sorry for your loss! We had hatching losses when we started out and I know how devastating it is. I've only ever hatched under a hen, but you were right to a) Only move them once dried off and b) Lower the lamp if they were huddling. Could they get away from the lamp if they were too hot? With a lamp set too low chicks often sprawl out at the periphery. If they could get further away, I don't see how you could have hurt them. Chicks can get infections of the navel which can kill after hatch and in the days that follow. I believe I've lost two this way now - both chicks that had a hard time hatching. I spray any rough navels with iodine now - don't know if it helps or not, but it gives me a feeling of having done something. Did their belly buttons look okay? Look up 'mushy chicks' - incubating with high humidity can cause that problem.

 

[Achelois]

Just wondering - how big is the tote? It could have held excessive heat. Whatever has happened, you tried to do right - learn from it and move on. I've killed chicks through ignorance and poor prep and turned my hen upside down this year and killed her too - was inspecting her feet and didnt know any better. We all make mistakes.

 

[plb91780]

These guys hatched at about 60% humidity. I think thats in the preferable range. Their bellies and umbilicals looked fine. The second one thats acting strange is sitting in a very unnatural wide stance.

As for the heat, the tote i had them in was small, a foot by a foot with lamp overhead so they had nowhere to go It was just a temporary solution to allow the other hatchling to gain strenghth for an hour, then I was going to move them back in the incubator til today

 

[plb91780]

Here is the strange stance.

 

[Achelois]

I'm so sorry - I'm juggling small kids and chooks too. I feel your pain - we can't be everywhere at once. Is the other chick any better? I gather it wasn't walking like this before, so didn't hatch with splayed legs? Make sure it's on a good non skid surface and see if it gets any better. Unfortunately, if you think it's neurological I'm not sure if there's anything that can be done. There are some good instructions on BYC for making things like chick chairs, but they're intended to be temporary measures.

 

[Achelois]

http://stitchandboots.com/kitchen-garden/backyard-flock/proper-heating-for-chicks/

This may help you - it can't hurt to treat it as heat stroke. Just go very carefully dipping beaks; I wouldn't 'force' it as this blogger suggests.

 

[plb91780]

I did drops of sugar water last night and this morning. Going to do this as well..

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U04bAHk5qDI/UnAobdQyohI/AAAAAAAAatg/xSoEqK3HL3s/s1600/spraddle.JPG