Every chick worth saving!!

[Aboddy2u]

Hi everyone
So this was my first incubatation with my new incubator. And though im not happy with the outcome of hatching (10 out of 48) and 2 passed after hatch. So I am with 8.
And let me tell you.... It has not been a very easy 3 days since hatch day. Ive had 5 out of 8 with split leg. Which took me 24 hrs to get it down to a science. But there is one chick in particular I want to talk about. " Little snow white" I could tell right away something was not right. She could not stand and her head was slunched over. Not being able to lift head at all. I thought for sure she wouldnt make it throught the night. But she was a fighter and that made me want to fight for her. So I did. I got a washcloth and a little liquor glass. And sat her in it. Was just tall enough for her to have to stand and yet raise her head up as well. Every other HR ive been going in and taking probiotics booster water and dipping my figure in and giving her a drop full tell she tells me she is done. Its been 24 hrs. And the true test. She is now standing ( nlt for long) but she is holding her head up slightly as well. She is slowly gaining her strength.

So theres hope for every chick. She's so pretty I'm not sure what she is? Maybe a cross between a slikie and a sultan? What do you guys think?

 

[gtaus]

Wow, that sounds like a lot of hard work incubating eggs to only hatch a handful of chicks that most have problems. Is that normal? I have only bought day old chicks from hatcheries, but have always gotten healthy chicks. Do the hatcheries have all these problems and just cull the baby chicks before they ship out? Do broody hen hatched eggs have the same percentage of problems? From what I read in your post, you got only 3 healthy chicks out of 48 eggs. I don't think I could manage to see the bright side of things if that happened to eggs I was incubating. I just don't know what to think, but I mostly I feel that chicks that are born "unhealthy" should be culled. Does that make me a bad person? I wonder, but in my mind, I only have time to raise healthy chicks. Bless you for going the extra length in caring for your chicks.

 

[Rose Quartz]

Hi everyone
So this was my first incubatation with my new incubator. And though im not happy with the outcome of hatching (10 out of 48) and 2 passed after hatch. So I am with 8.
And let me tell you.... It has not been a very easy 3 days since hatch day. Ive had 5 out of 8 with split leg. Which took me 24 hrs to get it down to a science. But there is one chick in particular I want to talk about. " Little snow white" I could tell right away something was not right. She could not stand and her head was slunched over. Not being able to lift head at all. I thought for sure she wouldnt make it throught the night. But she was a fighter and that made me want to fight for her. So I did. I got a washcloth and a little liquor glass. And sat her in it. Was just tall enough for her to have to stand and yet raise her head up as well. Every other HR ive been going in and taking probiotics booster water and dipping my figure in and giving her a drop full tell she tells me she is done. Its been 24 hrs. And the true test. She is now standing ( nlt for long) but she is holding her head up slightly as well. She is slowly gaining her strength. View attachment 2012953View attachment 2012954View attachment 2012955View attachment 2012956
So theres hope for every chick. She's so pretty I'm not sure what she is? Maybe a cross between a slikie and a sultan? What do you guys think?

Wow! That sounds really stressful glad you managed to keep your adorable little one going. Hopefully it keeps getting better!

 

[Rose Quartz]

Wow, that sounds like a lot of hard work incubating eggs to only hatch a handful of chicks that most have problems. Is that normal? I have only bought day old chicks from hatcheries, but have always gotten healthy chicks. Do the hatcheries have all these problems and just cull the baby chicks before they ship out? Do broody hen hatched eggs have the same percentage of problems? From what I read in your post, you got only 3 healthy chicks out of 48 eggs. I don't think I could manage to see the bright side of things if that happened to eggs I was incubating. I just don't know what to think, but I mostly I feel that chicks that are born "unhealthy" should be culled. Does that make me a bad person? I wonder, but in my mind, I only have time to raise healthy chicks. Bless you for going the extra length in caring for your chicks.

i wouldn't say it's normal, but it does happen. Hatcheries have been doing it for a long time. As with anything it takes time to learn how to do it well. And even then, most home incubators aren't made to deal with varying temps or humidity in the average home. Meaning no 2 incubations are going to run the same.

Spoiler: On the topic of culling

It really depends on the person what they're going to do, or even the circumstances. I find culling chicks, even when it's obvious they're not going to make it, far more difficult than butchering adults for food. Especially when there arent that many babies from a full incu. I have done hatches where i put the extra effort in to those chicks that are not well off. Lots of times they grow in to healthy adults with nothing but a few rough days at the beginning. Other times it doesn't matter what i do to help they still die. I feel im experienced enough now to know which way it'll go.

It doesnt mean i wont try even if i think it's not going to survive.

(Uhh i think i'm over tired and ranting here...sorry i dont mean to) l guess all i'm trying to say is, there's no harm in trying.

 

[Aboddy2u]

Wow, that sounds like a lot of hard work incubating eggs to only hatch a handful of chicks that most have problems. Is that normal? I have only bought day old chicks from hatcheries, but have always gotten healthy chicks. Do the hatcheries have all these problems and just cull the baby chicks before they ship out? Do broody hen hatched eggs have the same percentage of problems? From what I read in your post, you got only 3 healthy chicks out of 48 eggs. I don't think I could manage to see the bright side of things if that happened to eggs I was incubating. I just don't know what to think, but I mostly I feel that chicks that are born "unhealthy" should be culled. Does that make me a bad person? I wonder, but in my mind, I only have time to raise healthy chicks. Bless you for going the extra length in caring for your chicks.

Thank you. But I believe everything living let it be big or small deserve a chance. She could be Destin for great things. But we wont know that less we give her the fighting chance. And just from the time I wrote this till now. Shes running circles around another chick in the box. Lol
It brings joy knowing that I could save her little life.