Did I kill my chick????

[MROO]

I do not think so. I believe I saw the egg moving around in the incubator, and when I was holding the egg, the beak was moving around. But I'm worried it's going to die/died because I took it out of the incubator while it was hatching.

You - and the chick - are likely fine.

True story from earlier this summer:
I took five eggs out of a nest my latest broody abandoned and ... ummm ... christened with a dramatic "I'm Done" poo. I set them on an upturned bucket next to her hutch (I use rabbit hutches for breeding pairs and broodies,) meaning to toss them "in a minute."

Well, "Look, a butterfly" struck again and I forgot about them until I went to feed the next day. I followed some peeping I heard, thinking I had an escapee ... and found one of the "dead" egglets fully pipped. I candled the rest but they were quitters. Three weeks later, the same thing happened! Apparently this summer's heat was too much for lengthy hatching sessions (and probably the reason why the eggs continued developing!) Regardless, I now have a lovely pair of surprise pullets from eggs I almost tossed!

Edit to add: My incubator was waiting for a part, so I had nowhere to finish, so I had to get creative. Hint: The older youngster is named "Boo-Bee. Her Little sister is LaBuBu!

 

[McChooky]

My babies get all flock from the start, too, but I just buy crumbles and feed it to everybody.

I fix the chickens mash daily in multiple feeders (3) so they don't have to eat the pellets

 

[MROO]

You - and the chick - are likely fine.

True story from earlier this summer:
I took five eggs out of a nest my latest broody abandoned and ... ummm ... christened with a dramatic "I'm Done" poo. I set them on an upturned bucket next to her hutch (I use rabbit hutches for breeding pairs and broodies,) meaning to toss them "in a minute."

Well, "Look, a butterfly" struck again and I forgot about them until I went to feed the next day. I followed some peeping I heard, thinking I had an escapee ... and found one of the "dead" egglets fully pipped. I candled the rest but they were quitters. Three weeks later, the same thing happened! Apparently this summer's heat was too much for lengthy hatching sessions (and probably the reason why the eggs continued developing!) Regardless, I now have a lovely pair of surprise pullets from eggs I almost tossed!

Edit to add: My incubator was waiting for a part, so I had nowhere to finish, so I had to get creative. Hint: The older youngster is named "Boo-Bee. Her Little sister is LaBuBu!

Edit again - I'm a little late to the game. I'm glad your babies are doing well, but I got to share a funny story!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Edit again - I'm a little late to the game. I'm glad your babies are doing well, but I got to share a funny story!

You iz a chickie-hatchin' mamma!

 

[Slothinc]

So glad the chick is okay!!! Unmedicated feed will be fine! You can supplement with a vitamin b complex to help with the legs. If she seems weak you can give a little apple juice or electrolytes. Also, I prefer a different type of brace, made from a bandaid. It is softer and more comfortable for the chick. I wrote an article about how to make one if you want to check it out.

 

[MROO]

You iz a chickie-hatchin' mamma!

phlllbbbttt!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

So glad the chick is okay!!! I medicated feed will be fine. You can supplement with a vitamin b complex to help with the legs. If she seems weak you can give a little apple juice or electrolytes. Also, I prefer a different type of brace, made from a bandaid. It is softer and more comfortable for the chick. I wrote an article about how to make one if you want to check it out.

How about a link to your article?

 

[Slothinc]

How about a link to your article?

Sorry I was on the move and didn’t have time to find it, but I just grabbed the link.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/easy-brace-for-splay-leg-chicks.80050/

 

[McChooky]

You - and the chick - are likely fine.

True story from earlier this summer:
I took five eggs out of a nest my latest broody abandoned and ... ummm ... christened with a dramatic "I'm Done" poo. I set them on an upturned bucket next to her hutch (I use rabbit hutches for breeding pairs and broodies,) meaning to toss them "in a minute."

Well, "Look, a butterfly" struck again and I forgot about them until I went to feed the next day. I followed some peeping I heard, thinking I had an escapee ... and found one of the "dead" egglets fully pipped. I candled the rest but they were quitters. Three weeks later, the same thing happened! Apparently this summer's heat was too much for lengthy hatching sessions (and probably the reason why the eggs continued developing!) Regardless, I now have a lovely pair of surprise pullets from eggs I almost tossed!

Edit to add: My incubator was waiting for a part, so I had nowhere to finish, so I had to get creative. Hint: The older youngster is named "Boo-Bee. Her Little sister is LaBuBu!

After my broody came off the nest with 4 chicks I placed the eggs in the incubator to candle later and got the broody and chicks settled in. When I got back and candled the eggs I found 1 of the eggs had a tiny hole in it and the chick was trying to hatch (none of the other eggs were any good).I ended up staying up all night with that chick and momma with her other 4.I'm glad none of the other eggs were any good because I'm not sure she would taken any later.Her 1st chick hatched 48+ hrs earlier than the one hatched in the incubator.

 

[NotabitaiI]

Will post a picture of the chick once it's ready to join its sister in the brooder! Chick's got crippled legs but it's otherwise in perfect health. We made a leg brace for it out of a rubber band and a piece of a plastic straw.

Ohhhh that's probably part of why it stalled for a bit, the chicks with crumpled up legs always take a really long time and need assistance in my experience.