First hatch- two crippled, many die early. UPDATE -PICS

[warmfuzzies]

OK< I will try to get all the important details in here without it getting too long!

I had a partridge rock roo, and he was mean so I butchered him. We started collecting eggs, but I dont remember exacly when. We had also just gotten a auction EE roo, who has curled toes.

I haddnt seen any action between the EE roo and my hens. I am not sure of the dates anymore, but my plan was to have eggs from the PR roo.

I collected eggs for 10 days before incubation. My temp was high, up tp 103 or even more, the first three or four days. I got a new thermometer, which is how I knew the temp was high, and then I got my temp to regulate very nicely between 99 and 100.

The eggs were all fertile. One looked strange at day four, but upon opening it looked normal, with a beating heart. I took another one out on day eight, for a blood ring. it was dead, but well developed. The egg had been seeping, so I think it had a small crack.

I took out 12 quiters after I candled them on day 18. They were very strange, some had scrambled yolks, some were very thin and watery, and at least one had only an eyeball. I saw nothing that looked like a chick in any of them. But they all had SOMETHING.

So I took 39 eggs out of the turner on tuesday. I got my first chick on thursday night, and #23 this morning. A very long hatch!

So I have one chick that keeps turning his head, repeatedly. I thought is was a brain thing, but now I am thinnking it is his neck. i have at least one with brittle feathers that are falling out, and he has bald patches. And the one born this morning has something wrong with its neck also. He always looks at the ceiling, and he keeps falling over on his back. he cant walk at all, and seems to have curled toes.

I wanted to raise the PR babies to breed. I know if it was genetics, it had to be the rooster, because the problem ones I candled were a mixture of all the different kinds of hens. And one of the crippled ones is PR and one is cochin.

So, was it the PR roo, or was it the EEer with curled toes? Or was it something else completely?

Sorry this was so long, I hope someone can help, I was supposed to be shipping eggs for a swap today but now I dont think I should.

 

[sewincircle]

Oh I am so sorry. The twisted neck could be wry neck but its hard to say without seeing it. That is treatable if it is. (a deficiency in a vitamine I believe) WOW, I wish there was more I could add. I know chicks die for many reasons. I am going to let someone with more experience talk to this problem though. Please know I am thinking of you. Jeanmarie

 

[chicklady63]

Vitamin B-12 in their water may help. I had a silkie roo who was really bad at one point his head would shake, go down between his legs, twist around like a goose's & then at times he would even do a backflip like he was having a seizure (maybe he was - it was awful to watch) & I was thankfully able to cure him with vitamin additive. (I never used him to breed after that though as I was concerned it was a genetic flaw.) I understand silkies though are plagued with this sort of malady (something about the vaulted skulls I have heard - I don't know:/). But one old-time breeder of champion silkies told me to add Durvet Vitamin & Electrolyte solution (powder) to the drinking water & it did clear up the problem.
The higher temperature may have been a cause for some of the problems too.
I wish you so much luck. I know it's heartbreaking to have soemthing like this happen.
Was you incubator sanitized well before you started adding the eggs? I use Oxine in mine for this purpose. Check it out at Shagbark Bantams. She has a lot of info. regarding the product as well as other helpful chicken-related articles. In addition, she's a really nice & knowledgable lady where poultry are concerned.

 

[SpottedCrow]

It sounds like a bunch of things...
I think the temp might've been too high, but I can't say because I don't hatch.
The "stargazing" might be a vitamin deficiency as is the messed up feet.
The feet are the easiest fix.
Cut out a piece of plastic margarine lid in the correct shape of chick feet and take them to the chicks' feet.

I don't remember the vitamins or I'd try to help you with that too.

 

[warmfuzzies]

I think we will cull him. There is no way he can eat or drink by himself. He cant even stand up, but he still keeps flipping over on his back, and then he is stuck. So he is waiting till hubby gets home... I can butcher, but I can't kill a little one.

Oh, and the incubator was new. But I will sure be cleaning it good now.

I diddnt feed breeder ration to them, just free range and layer pellets. But it is winter, I diddnt think about how they maybe weren't really getting much as far as bugs and stuff.

 

[warmfuzzies]

OK, I had to do it, he was obviously in pain and struggling to breath.

And I had three eggs left. Two were fully developed without absorbing the yolk, and one had a smaller one in it, fully feathered, but it looked about two weeks old I'm guessing.

 

[ursusarctosana]

It is very sad. Sorry your chicks have challenges.