Hello, just a Yankee from Alabama!

[Airyaman]

My first sub flock of 9 finally met the world outside. Well, the world outside in a flimsy run. But they enjoyed it.

The run is roughly 10x20 and they never really spread out. They moved around the run in a huddled group. It was 70-75 out.

 

[Airyaman]

Went against my prior stance of not helping chicks hatch. The first (and only since) two I assisted turned out poorly. Both were badly positioned in their eggs (pipped from wrong end) and while the first I helped should have probably been allowed to stay in its egg longer because it yolk was not fully absorbed, the 2nd never stood a chance because I think it's yolk sac was punctured prior to hatching. Neither chick was able to recover and had to be euthanized.

This time the two I helped were in the right position, they had simply not zipped much in the many hours since the first external pip. As many hours that had passed since the first pip, I felt fairly certain their yolks were absorbed. I was right at least on that part.

The first chick was fine but the second chick struggled and had it's head tucked against it's body in the same position it hatched in. It stayed that way for several hours so I thought maybe it had wry neck. I purchased a bottle of Nutri Drench and gave it some with a Q-Tip. I followed that up with a homemade electrolyte solution and waited to see if things improved.

They did not, and I thought the chick was my next casualty. But instead of giving up, I picked the chick up to examine it. Lo and behold, it still had quite a patch of membrane attached from the top of it's head to its lower back. It was not easy to see or I would have noticed it earlier, it was basically adhered to its body and transparent. I carefully peeled the membrane off and it immediately straightened it's neck.

Even still, it did not look or act well. So I gave it some more electrolyte solution and put it back in a incubator at 95F.

A couple hours later and now it is moving around just as a newborn chick would! Not sure if the Nutri Drench helped or even the electrolytes, but it certainly didn't hurt. It was obviously the membrane that was the issue more so than anything else.

I'm going to give it some more time before putting it in the brooder with its hatch mates.

 

[Debbie292d]

Went against my prior stance of not helping chicks hatch. The first (and only since) two I assisted turned out poorly. Both were badly positioned in their eggs (pipped from wrong end) and while the first I helped should have probably been allowed to stay in its egg longer because it yolk was not fully absorbed, the 2nd never stood a chance because I think it's yolk sac was punctured prior to hatching. Neither chick was able to recover and had to be euthanized.

This time the two I helped were in the right position, they had simply not zipped much in the many hours since the first external pip. As many hours that had passed since the first pip, I felt fairly certain their yolks were absorbed. I was right at least on that part.

The first chick was fine but the second chick struggled and had it's head tucked against it's body in the same position it hatched in. It stayed that way for several hours so I thought maybe it had wry neck. I purchased a bottle of Nutri Drench and gave it some with a Q-Tip. I followed that up with a homemade electrolyte solution and waited to see if things improved.

They did not, and I thought the chick was my next casualty. But instead of giving up, I picked the chick up to examine it. Lo and behold, it still had quite a patch of membrane attached from the top of it's head to its lower back. It was not easy to see or I would have noticed it earlier, it was basically adhered to its body and transparent. I carefully peeled the membrane off and it immediately straightened it's neck.

Even still, it did not look or act well. So I gave it some more electrolyte solution and put it back in a incubator at 95F.

A couple hours later and now it is moving around just as a newborn chick would! Not sure if the Nutri Drench helped or even the electrolytes, but it certainly didn't hurt. It was obviously the membrane that was the issue more so than anything else.

I'm going to give it some more time before putting it in the brooder with its hatch mates.

Good call!

When folks say they have a weak chick or funky neck or legs, I've recommended and done that exact same thing, back in the incubator at 95F for sometimes as long as 24 hours. It can do miracles!