Hello everyone.
The hatch is done and I ended up with 9 chicks. All 6 of Poppets eggs hatched. I also have a Betty chick, a Curly chick and the Fluffy chick. The fluffy chick, I have been worried about it since the moment it hatched. It was born with splayed legs, and had a difficult hatch with some what I will call excess bleeding. The odds have not been in this chicks favor. It is a fighter and has not gave up so therefore I cannot give up on it. After it recovered from the hatch I made a tiny set of hobbles and left them on for 18 hours. I Know I should have left them on longer probably but it was fighting the hobbles and fighting being in the cup. I took them off and the splay was better but not 100%. I then realized that it was not just splayed legs, the bad leg also has what appears to be a slipped tendon. I fear putting the hobbles on and her fighting it I caused it. I did not see this at first. I was ready to give up. My brother is aware of her struggles and if I make that call he is willing to do it for me. It was at this point that the curly chick crashed out of nowhere. I do not know why or what happened but she went from perfectly fine to appearing to be dying in under a hour. I have electrolyte water made up for the fluffy chick so I gave the curly chick some as well. I then put a strawberry basket in the brooder and put both chicks in it and simply prayed. Thankfully the curly chick rebounded after a few hours. She also was a comfort to the fluffy chick and having a companion boosted her already good apatite. Yesterday morning I removed the paper towels from the brooder and introduced my go to of sawdust for litter. I also put some in the basket with the 2 chicks. Right away I saw the fluffy chick was able to move better with the sawdust bedding. It was around 6 yesterday when I let them both out of the strawberry bucket into the main part of the brooder with the rest of the chicks and I hovered to observe. The fluffy chick, she surprised me. She is all over the brooder and can get there fast. It is not pretty but she is mobile. She has dust bathed multiple times, first to do it actually. Betty's chick Adele has been the bully and the toe and feather grabber. Fluffy's chick pecks Adele who learned real fast to leave her alone. She has no problem getting to the water bowl and drinking and is eating like a champ. When I finally fell asleep this morning she was snuggled in the middle of the pile of chicks. I still do not know what to do. I think she can survive. I also think that if she does she will have a disability, one she will adapt to but a disability all the same. I do know if she does survive she will never be allowed to free range unless I am out there. She will have to live in the coop and have friends rotated in and out with her. I struggle with that thought. For now though I am holding off making any decisions and will monitor the situation. I am already attached to her and I know I am not thinking clearly on what to do. Dang it she is a fighter, if she keeps fighting and growing I will give her the best life I possibly can.