hatchling dying

[quailtrail]

Baby chick was over 24hrs trying to get out. DH got worried while I was on my hr commute. ..so he helped it. Its laying there with its legs running but doesn't try to get up. Moves its head but looks like it is featherless. can I do anything????

 

[veggiecanner]

Leave it in the incubator.
It's ether going to make it or it's not.
I help when it's needed, but you have to know what your doing and the first few I helped didn't make it.
If you help too soon you can really hurt them. But best to just let him rest now.

 

[quailtrail]

I know I'm so upset that he did it!!!!!

 

[Rebacopter32]

Well I'm not experienced in the slightest, but I can tell you what I did, being a noob- but it worked at least. I had one that was in the same situation as yours, and I ended up carefully helping it out with my brother, then transferring it back to an incubator. It wouldn't dry properly for some reason, so after 6 or 7 hours after it being soaking wet, I held him on a towel under the heat lamp (but not too hot) and puffed up really quickly. After that, while in the brooder, he still couldn't get up, and he was kicking his legs while he was on his back, just like yours. You should lightly flip him over with you finger so he's on his stomach (don't squish him though!) The first trillion times, he'll try to walk but end up flipping back over. Just help him and give him time. If he has curled toes, and that's the reason he can't get up right, give him little flippers. I did this with two chicks, one of them hatched on their own but couldn't walk, and the other needed help. One lived and is perfectly healthy and is walking fine, but the other died at a week old, so you'll just have to see. Keep in mind I am by no means an expert, it's just what I did and the only thing that worked for me. I'm still kinda new at this. Good luck! ( If he is completely featherless, though, the heat lamp might burn him if you do what I did)

 

[quailtrail]

Sadly our baby chick passed.

 

[James the Bald]

Sorry about your chick. It seems like an ethical question, "to help or not to help". As for me, I allow nature to take it's course. Like VeggieCanner says, it's either going to make it or not. In this link, about 3/4 of the way down the page, there is an article about a chick named "yolk". My opinion, but not all hatches have happy endings.

 

[quailtrail]

Sorry about your chick.  It seems like an ethical question, "to help or not to help".  As for me, I allow nature to take it's course.  Like VeggieCanner says, it's either going to make it or not.  In this link, about 3/4 of the way down the page, there is an article about a chick named "yolk".  My opinion, but not all hatches have happy endings.

Agreed. I would not have intervened unless absolutely necessary but that's the nurse in me. Sad but good lesson for kiddos.