Sandra M
Hatching
New to all of this so some history!
I bought my eight year daughter two Light Sussexs for her birthday last October. They became broody a few months later so we popped some fertilised under their bottoms and out popped three (two to Ruby and one to Lucy). Ruby was a dreadful mother and rejected her chicks straight away so we handed them over to the pet shop to get them a bit bigger so they could hold their own - Lucy was a great mother.
So anyway one of the chicks was a boy and so went to a small-holding (not a euphemism!) and the other we brought home along with an adopted one (these three chicks are Pekins). In June LooLou the lavendar Pekin suddenly died (found by my daughter) and was given a lovely funeral and my daughter has a photograph of her in an antique photo frame next to her bed and has travelled as far as Cuba! So the second Pekin (Penelope) became broody a month or so ago and we popped four eggs under her. Only one hatched and we adopted an orphan from the pet shop - Penelope and her mum Lucy are sharing the rearing and both chicks are happy to cuddle with either but we haven't got the heart to remove the failed eggs from Penelope as she resolutely sits on them (we are looking for a fresh batch for her).
So just as I go to do school-run I glance over to the chickens and spot just one chick with Lucy; I decide to see if the other is with Penelope - no it's not - it's on the floor looking like a dead fledging. My language was rather fruity to say the least but I whipped her up and she was not suffering from rigor mortis - more ****** and blinding and I start rubbing its chest and then gave it the kiss of life, and repeated this a couple of times in between swearing like a trooper. AND IT MOVED - IT MOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG IT MOVED!!!! I jumped in the car driving with a half dead chick in one hand, trying to make alternative school-run arrangements with the other and never stopped swearing until I got to the pet shop a hundred yards down the road and burst through the door like a sceen from ER!
So we popped the chick under the heat lamp and after 30 minutes he/she opened his/her eyes and after a while was able to stand up and poo three times and have a little water. I took the chick home and he/she waddled to his/her sibling and the sibling greeted him/her and both went under their mother's belly.
So they are tucked up in bed and hopefully all is alright. I haven't got a clue as to what happened - he/she is smaller than the other chick (I think they are both Silkies) and his/her bottom was pulsating but has managed to poo three times. Whilst under the heat lamp the chick had a tiny bit of water but refused food. Just now though he/she ate some that I put in the nesting area so here's hoping. I cleaned out their housing a week ago and had planned to clean it out again tomorrow - should I sterilise it?
Any ideas on what has happened would be great - but my children and friends are deeply impressed by the CPR!
I bought my eight year daughter two Light Sussexs for her birthday last October. They became broody a few months later so we popped some fertilised under their bottoms and out popped three (two to Ruby and one to Lucy). Ruby was a dreadful mother and rejected her chicks straight away so we handed them over to the pet shop to get them a bit bigger so they could hold their own - Lucy was a great mother.
So anyway one of the chicks was a boy and so went to a small-holding (not a euphemism!) and the other we brought home along with an adopted one (these three chicks are Pekins). In June LooLou the lavendar Pekin suddenly died (found by my daughter) and was given a lovely funeral and my daughter has a photograph of her in an antique photo frame next to her bed and has travelled as far as Cuba! So the second Pekin (Penelope) became broody a month or so ago and we popped four eggs under her. Only one hatched and we adopted an orphan from the pet shop - Penelope and her mum Lucy are sharing the rearing and both chicks are happy to cuddle with either but we haven't got the heart to remove the failed eggs from Penelope as she resolutely sits on them (we are looking for a fresh batch for her).
So just as I go to do school-run I glance over to the chickens and spot just one chick with Lucy; I decide to see if the other is with Penelope - no it's not - it's on the floor looking like a dead fledging. My language was rather fruity to say the least but I whipped her up and she was not suffering from rigor mortis - more ****** and blinding and I start rubbing its chest and then gave it the kiss of life, and repeated this a couple of times in between swearing like a trooper. AND IT MOVED - IT MOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG IT MOVED!!!! I jumped in the car driving with a half dead chick in one hand, trying to make alternative school-run arrangements with the other and never stopped swearing until I got to the pet shop a hundred yards down the road and burst through the door like a sceen from ER!
So we popped the chick under the heat lamp and after 30 minutes he/she opened his/her eyes and after a while was able to stand up and poo three times and have a little water. I took the chick home and he/she waddled to his/her sibling and the sibling greeted him/her and both went under their mother's belly.
So they are tucked up in bed and hopefully all is alright. I haven't got a clue as to what happened - he/she is smaller than the other chick (I think they are both Silkies) and his/her bottom was pulsating but has managed to poo three times. Whilst under the heat lamp the chick had a tiny bit of water but refused food. Just now though he/she ate some that I put in the nesting area so here's hoping. I cleaned out their housing a week ago and had planned to clean it out again tomorrow - should I sterilise it?
Any ideas on what has happened would be great - but my children and friends are deeply impressed by the CPR!
. Nice save on that baby chick! 
