Hatching Under a Broody Hen

[WVduckchick]

Need to look at whole leg to find where the problem really is.
Could be curled foot, or bad hock/slipped tendon, or hip problem.
Vitamins is a good start tho.

x2
Simple curled toes can be easily fixed. I usually give them 24 hours before worrying about toes, because most times they will uncurl. If they don't after 24 hours, then the tape fix is easy and still effective.
Hock, hip, or tendon issues are more difficult.

 

[stephcraig78]

It can move it the leg but it doesn’t really move the toes. I think the upper leg/thigh area seems slightly swollen. I’ll check again in morning and see if I can get better pics of it. In the mean time gonna do as much research as possible. Thank you all so much for your help with this. She was still sitting last I checked. There are three eggs they haven’t hatched and I’m starting to wonder if they will. I’ll wait it out though. One had a tiny hole but when I tapped on it I couldn’t hear anything so not sure if it will make it out. ANy have any guesses on the colors? Mom is grey and brown and dad is black with red highlights.

 

[ChuSayBok]

Sorry for being absent so long; I combed thru yer thread, but I didn't see a final head count.. How many made it?

 

[stephcraig78]

You mean me? I had 6 that are thriving. Lost one a few days out of egg. Had leg issue. They are so awesome to watch. I still have them in garage with mom because our temps have plummeted to single digits and I just can’t bring myself to move out into such extreme cold. I did take heat lamp out and now they are relying on mom to keep them warm completely. Put lamp outside on the side of other birds pen. I don’t put it close enough to them to “heat” the pen but just add a slight warm spot. I had a hen get frost bit last winter on her comb and I don’t wanna have anymore this year. We are planning to build a house for them next week. Have a bunch of red cedar logs and poles so using them to make a small log cabin basically. We built the coop they use now way to small for the number of birds we have. Of course when we built it we didn’t have near this many. Anyway I’ll post pics when we get it done.

 

[stephcraig78]

Well it was -24 degrees F. When I woke up this morning. I am so glad I hadn’t moved mama and babies outside yet. Not supplementing heat just have them in cage in garage so they are out of wind. One heat lamb hanging about 2 feet from cage. It’s by no means warm in there but not bitter cold like outside. The others we went around their pen and made sure it was very draft free. Also put one heat lamp out there just to give slight heat. They have been huddling together inside the coop house which they never do. Guess they have figured out body heat helps some. Babies are all starting to grow a little. Not much yet. Eating and drinking well. Also bought a heated water bowl for the older birds. Has worked nicely. Wanna say thanks again for all the help you all gave me while waiting for them to hatch.

 

[ChuSayBok]

View attachment 1221220 View attachment 1221225 View attachment 1221220 You mean me? I had 6 that are thriving. Lost one a few days out of egg. Had leg issue. They are so awesome to watch. I still have them in garage with mom because our temps have plummeted to single digits and I just can’t bring myself to move out into such extreme cold. I did take heat lamp out and now they are relying on mom to keep them warm completely. Put lamp outside on the side of other birds pen. I don’t put it close enough to them to “heat” the pen but just add a slight warm spot. I had a hen get frost bit last winter on her comb and I don’t wanna have anymore this year. We are planning to build a house for them next week. Have a bunch of red cedar logs and poles so using them to make a small log cabin basically. We built the coop they use now way to small for the number of birds we have. Of course when we built it we didn’t have near this many. Anyway I’ll post pics when we get it done.

I was actually referring to Arya28, but GRATs and Happy New Year! Those are quite adorable. It's even cold here in the land of grits.. took water outside and put in shed away from wind and it still froze in an hour. My chu are obviously tougher than I am.

 

[stephcraig78]

I can’t imagine being outside all night in this kind of cold. We have wood stove and it still feels cool in daughters room. Incredible these birds can just snuggle up and sleep it past. I feel so bad for them though. Everyone says they are better off without adding heat but I just can’t accept that. I just add a little heat lamp that I know doesn’t do much in -20 temps but I can’t keep myself from at least giving them that. Poor babies. They shiver and cuddle up together no matter what the Peking order is. Everyone is crowded into the boxed in coop. I could never imagine sleeping outside in this. I was done after 20 minutes of feeding and watering. I would like to ask you all if you put let them out to free range in this kind of cold? Or should I keep them all in their coop? It’s cover with tarp and boards to keep wind and drafts from making it colder than it is. Give me your opinions. The mama and babies are still comfy in the garage. No matter what I can’t bear to put them out yet.

 

[stephcraig78]

Hey so went to feed and change water tonight and ALL the chicks are sneezing. Mom too a little. No other symptoms. Growing and looking great. Any ideas?

 

[Arya28]

I have pictures! Sorry it took me so long to get to this! Chickens are time consuming

We have 10 happy, healthy chicks from this hatch! 8 of them are still with mama, 2 of them are still inside. One of them is the silkie legbar mama didn’t accept (that hatched in the incubator) and the other was getting picked on for some reason so we took her out and put her with the silkie legbar. They keep each other company! But all 10 of them are growing and doing amazing!!

Some of these pics are from the first few days, and some are just from the last two weeks or so. Remember you don’t see all of the chicks in one pic very often because usually a couple are under mama, lol.

Here are pics from the first few days:

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We don’t know the breeds/sexes of all of them yet, so thoughts welcome! At this point I think it’s about half and half.

This one is the Legbar-Spitzy cross. This ones a boy, I’m 99% sure. I know you’ll probably think I’m crazy, but I swear a couple weeks ago he crowed at me. He stretched his neck and everything- I’ve heard a lot of young cockerels crow and that was unmistakable! How is that possible at only a couple weeks old??? Anyway, he’s a cutie!! View attachment 1226148View attachment 1226149

This is one that was born a little yellow chipmunk. We have 3 that look identical to this. I think they are girls... but not sure. They could be legbar x buff Orpington, black sex-link, or ISA Brown. Thoughts?? Their legs do look slightly green now, but there is no way they are all EE crosses, as their was only one green EE egg that hatched. View attachment 1226153View attachment 1226154 View attachment 1226155 This is one that is black, born with a white dot on it’s head. We have two like this. Pretty sure they are both boys- they are getting little red combs and waddles. Could be cream legbar x black sex link, ISA Brown, or blue copper Marans. No feathery legs though. View attachment 1226157View attachment 1226158 View attachment 1226159 This is a cream legbar x Svart hona- pretty sure it’s a boy. Again- these pics are from about 2 weeks ago. Now this one has silver penciling on its front and a bigger crest, and a pretty big comb.View attachment 1226167View attachment 1226164 View attachment 1226165View attachment 1226164 This one is the Svart hona x silkie... we know because it was born with extra toes. Pretty sure it’s a girl. So cute! View attachment 1226173View attachment 1226175
This is the one we think is cream legbar x EE... it’s the one unique looking one, and there was one green egg hatched. Pretty sure she’s a girl. This is the one that’s not inside with the silkie legbar because she was getting picked on. She’s doing great though!

We took these pics a couple weeks ago (when the silkie legbar was in kind of rough shape) so there’s not a pic of her here. She’s doing really great though so I will get a pic of her and put it on! But thoughts are welcome on breed/gender

 

[Arya28]

@stephcraig78 I know it seems like it must not be fun for them in the cold! Our roosters are getting frostbite and it’s hard to watch however, everyone says chickens are more comfortable in the cold than in extreme heat, but I don’t know...

We let our chickens out of the barn when it’s cold, but not when it’s absolutely frigid (for example, we have -20 wind chill right now- they were inside today and probably will be tomorrow too!). But in just normal, winter temps (30s, 20s- sometimes even a little colder) we let open the door. If they want to go out, they do. If they don’t, they won’t. Most of them choose to for at least a lil bit if given the choice.

Our babies are still in the garage with mama and a heat lamp so what you’re doing for them should be fine!

As for their sneezing... might indicate something respiratory. What I would do, is treat them with VetRX. It’s a blend of essential oils (oregano, pine, rosemary) that clears their sinuses and helps them breathe better. If it continues I probably would add a very small amount of oregano oil in their water to build up their immune systems/fend off any possible viruses or illnesses. Everyone had their own methods, but that’s what I’d recommend Note I’m not a vet though.