help please!!!! Lethargic chick wont move etc. Splay leg also? HELP

[AmyJane725]

I have no idea either. Literally devastated.. The breeder knew baby had pasty butt before I left and i swear that is what happened.. I have no clue. I think I'm about to loose the baby, lying there no chirping no moving etc. Beak opening and closing as its laying there. When i pick baby up it has no muscle control it seems like, neck just flops over body is limp. UGH!!!!!! My poor pretty baby..

That's what happened with one of mine. She had made it six days with nothing wrong at all. I came home from work and she was dead within 3 hours (and it was my favorite one too ) I was also very upset. I'm sorry you're going through it too.
Could the breeder get you another porcelain one (perhaps one that doesn't have pasty butt) If the breeder is selling pasty butt chicks I wonder how good they are? Is it a big huge hatchery company or literally just one person with a few birds?

 

[MakMurrayFarm]

Two of the three I picked out had pasty butt.. He had just gotten home from work I hadn't gotten around to tending to everyone yet. It is a large scale breeding facility.. Very nice birds, coops and set ups. But it really does make me wonder more now.. He also has a 5 star rating, but you never know.
It absolutely sucks loosing babies, especially your favorites. I'm scared to go check on them.... I don't wanna see a dead baby ugh.
He is supposed to have more Sunday when they hatch and I fully intended on going back to get a few more and hopefully more porcelain before this happened. I'll definitely contact him in the morning if this baby doesn't pull through and see what he would do. I paid alot for these chicks and while money isn't a factor in this, I just am so upset.
Should I expect to be refunded or given a new chick? Or just not even worry about asking? Ive never ever had a baby die or just get this weak and lifeless ever. What would you do?

That's what happened with one of mine. She had made it six days with nothing wrong at all. I came home from work and she was dead within 3 hours (and it was my favorite one too ) I was also very upset. I'm sorry you're going through it too.
Could the breeder get you another porcelain one (perhaps one that doesn't have pasty butt) If the breeder is selling pasty butt chicks I wonder how good they are?

 

[AmyJane725]

Two of the three I picked out had pasty butt.. He had just gotten home from work I hadn't gotten around to tending to everyone yet. It is a large scale breeding facility.. Very nice birds, coops and set ups. But it really does make me wonder more now.. He also has a 5 star rating, but you never know.
It absolutely sucks loosing babies, especially your favorites. I'm scared to go check on them.... I don't wanna see a dead baby ugh.
He is supposed to have more Sunday when they hatch and I fully intended on going back to get a few more and hopefully more porcelain before this happened. I'll definitely contact him in the morning if this baby doesn't pull through and see what he would do. I paid alot for these chicks and while money isn't a factor in this, I just am so upset.
Should I expect to be refunded or given a new chick? Or just not even worry about asking? Ive never ever had a baby die or just get this weak and lifeless ever. What would you do?

Well, it's not necessarily his fault. If it is a large scale thing it can be hard to manage all the babies. I had always heard that pasty butt usually comes from shipping stress though. If these birds were born at his facility I'm wondering why they're so stressed out. **To people who actually hatch out babies at home, do yours get pasty butt ever? Is it just a normal thing that happens no matter what you do?**

I'm willing to bet the baby will be gone very soon. I'm sorry. I held mine as she passed. Wanted her to know mamma was there and loved her. Plus, to me at least, it's less gross to have it start out alive in your hands than to have to pick up a dead thing out of the box. If you're already holding it when it goes it's not as bad. That's just me though.

I would absolutely expect to be refunded or given a new chick. Since you want more, I think it would be simplest for him to just give you another porcelain one for free. And no, it's not about the money. It's about the principle. No amount of money makes up for the heartache. It's just the right thing to do. How much did he charge you per chick anyway?

If you actually get to pick the chicks, I'd pick ones that don't already have pasty butt. Pick the healthiest looking ones you can. I mean, pasty butt isn't always a death sentence by any means, but I just think it would improve your odds of not having this happen again.

 

[MakMurrayFarm]

Baby is gone....
I've had a couple silkie chicks get pasty butt and I attributed it to their furry booties, these babes are kinda furry too but not like a silkie. Very valid question regarding pasty butt, I'm very curious now. He only had one porcelain so I got the baby knowing it had pasty butt, assuming I'd get chick home and fix it right on up. I paid $20 a chick, which is a tad high but they're so hard to find quality ones around my area. The parents are shown and he has very very nice stock. I will most definitely not purchase a pasty butt again, but the other that had it is 100% fine!! Eating drinking active etc.. I'm hoping he will be understanding and when his next batch hatches he will be willing to replace this baby. He really should of taken the pasty butts inside, cleaned them and then let me take them. But what's done is done. I definitely know he is busy because he said he works a full time job gets home at 6pm then cares for everyone. He easily has 150 adult chickens , not including the other breeds of birds, then he said he hatches every week or so 600 chicks. Including quail, Guinea, Turkey, Rhea, etc then all of the chickens he has also. He has goats, pigs, bunnies, horses, dogs lol like everything!

Well, it's not necessarily his fault. If it is a large scale thing it can be hard to manage all the babies. I had always heard that pasty butt usually comes from shipping stress though. If these birds were born at his facility I'm wondering why they're so stressed out. **To people who actually hatch out babies at home, do yours get pasty butt ever? Is it just a normal thing that happens no matter what you do?**

I'm willing to bet the baby will be gone very soon. I'm sorry. I held mine as she passed. Wanted her to know mamma was there and loved her.

I would absolutely expect to be refunded or given a new chick. Since you want more, I think it would be simplest for him to just give you another porcelain one for free. And no, it's not about the money. It's about the principle. No amount of money makes up for the heartache. It's just the right thing to do. How much did he charge you per chick anyway?

If you actually get to pick the chicks, I'd pick ones that don't already have pasty butt. Pick the healthiest looking ones you can.

 

[AmyJane725]

Baby is gone....
I've had a couple silkie chicks get pasty butt and I attributed it to their furry booties, these babes are kinda furry too but not like a silkie. Very valid question regarding pasty butt, I'm very curious now. He only had one porcelain so I got the baby knowing it had pasty butt, assuming I'd get chick home and fix it right on up. I paid $20 a chick, which is a tad high but they're so hard to find quality ones around my area. The parents are shown and he has very very nice stock. I will most definitely not purchase a pasty butt again, but the other that had it is 100% fine!! Eating drinking active etc.. I'm hoping he will be understanding and when his next batch hatches he will be willing to replace this baby. He really should of taken the pasty butts inside, cleaned them and then let me take them. But what's done is done. I definitely know he is busy because he said he works a full time job gets home at 6pm then cares for everyone. He easily has 100 adult birds, then he said he hatches every week or so 600 chicks. Including quail, Guinea, Turkey, Rhea, etc then all of the chickens he has also. He has goats, pigs, bunnies, horses, dogs lol like everything!

Rest in peace little one. No more suffering. You'll be tiny and cute forever.

Nah, pasty butt isn't from the furriness. They might get a little poo streaked in there if they had a more wattery one, but it still wouldn't cake up and block the vent like true pasty butt.

Ah, I see. It was the only one available so you took it regardless. I don't necessarily think it was the pasty butt that made her die anyway. Probably just a weak chick with some kind of undetectable internal defect. Nothing that could have been done I'd imagine.

I should hope he'd be understanding considering she didn't even live 24 hours after leaving his facility. I'd be pretty pissed. Unless you killed her directly, which you obviously didn't, this is on him.

It sounds like he has a lot on his plate. Does he have any helpers at all? I don't really feel like one person can properly care for that many animals. I'm sorry. I'm open to having my mind changed, but this seems impossible to me.

Goodness. $20 a chick is a lot (my hatchery chicks were like $3.50 tops). But I admit, I was just telling my mom tonight that I'd happily pay $100+ per chick if scientists could create forever chicks that never grow up
Are you planning on showing them, or were you just hoping to get healthier birds by buying from breeder instead of a hatchery? Just curious. No judgement either way. I got 16 chicks mail order from a hatchery and only the one I told you about died. Everyone else is alive and well. I did have a pasty butt case on the other chick of the same breed (cropped up the same night as the other one dying) as the one that died, and the replacements I was sent looked kinda sickly, but I seem to have nursed them through it. They're growing like weeds. And now everyone gets a daily butt check. No more episodes.

 

[MakMurrayFarm]

I definitely agree with you. Something had to of been wrong, and you're exactly right didnt even live 24 hours after I picked her up! I'm more sad than pissed, I just wish I knew what happened. If I would of known more about pasty butt I would of thought twice about just getting that one just because ya know?
The price was not what I wanted to pay lol. But I kinda have good reasoning.. I do want to show them and breed them. I want to breed some beautiful babies!! There is easily only maybe 2 people in my state that have true show quality duccles. I've searched high and low. I had my order ready to be placed with several from cackle of the duccles then i ended up digging on here and most said it's very hard or nearly impossible to get a show quality duccle from a hatchery. So I set out on a mission to find nice birds.... I want to get 2 to 3 different blood lines of the duccles and breed high quality chicks, as I said they're so hard to find here I know I would probably make a large profit off of them! Plus be super proud of my bloodlines lol!!

He has a wife but she didn't even step foot out of the house while we were there. I don't think she helps him with the livestock. But their dogs were inside and fenced in around their home so she may handle them and what not. But it seemed to me he handles all of the live stock side of things. But I could be completely wrong. It could of just been a busy day or past few days IDK! But i do know im heartbroken that baby is gone.

Girl I'd totally pay 100 a chick for a lifelong chick that would be AWESOME!!!
That's also why I love my bantams , they're so tiny compared to other breeds. I also have silkies, seramas, mottled houdans, silver laced polish and a lone cochin chick

I picked up a few chicks from TSC that come from the hatchery and that also left a bad taste in my mouth. Some that were at the store supposed to be silkies had only 4 toes , funky skin, some one also said they ordered silkie chicks from a hatchery and they didn't have feathered legs.. So I guess that also partook in my decision on why not to purchase the duccles from a hatchery.

Rest in peace little one. No more suffering. You'll be tiny and cute forever.

Nah, pasty butt isn't from the furriness. They might get a little poo streaked in there if they had a more wattery one, but it still wouldn't cake up and block the vent like true pasty butt.

Ah, I see. It was the only one available so you took it regardless. I don't necessarily think it was the pasty butt that made her die anyway. Probably just a weak chick with some kind of undetectable internal defect. Nothing that could have been done I'd imagine.

I should hope he'd be understanding considering she didn't even live 24 hours after leaving his facility. I'd be pretty pissed. Unless you killed her directly, which you obviously didn't, this is on him.

It sounds like he has a lot on his plate. Does he have any helpers at all? I don't really feel like one person can properly care for that many animals. I'm sorry. I'm open to having my mind changed, but this seems impossible to me.

Goodness. $20 a chick is a lot (my hatchery chicks were like $3.50 tops). But I admit, I was just telling my mom tonight that I'd happily pay $100+ per chick if scientists could create forever chicks that never grow up
Are you planning on showing them, or were you just hoping to get healthier birds by buying from breeder instead of a hatchery? Just curious. No judgement either way. I got 16 chicks mail order from a hatchery and only the one I told you about died. Everyone else is alive and well. I did have a pasty butt case on the other chick of the same breed (cropped up the same night as the other one dying) as the one that died, and the replacements I was sent looked kinda sickly, but I seem to have nursed them through it. They're growing like weeds. And now everyone gets a daily butt check. No more episodes.

 

[The Phantom]

I have no idea either. Literally devastated.. The breeder knew baby had pasty butt before I left and i swear that is what happened.. I have no clue. I think I'm about to loose the baby, lying there no chirping no moving etc. Beak opening and closing as its laying there. When i pick baby up it has no muscle control it seems like, neck just flops over body is limp. UGH!!!!!! My poor pretty baby..

I’m sorry.

 

[AmyJane725]

I definitely agree with you. Something had to of been wrong, and you're exactly right didnt even live 24 hours after I picked her up! I'm more sad than pissed, I just wish I knew what happened. If I would of known more about pasty butt I would of thought twice about just getting that one just because ya know?
The price was not what I wanted to pay lol. But I kinda have good reasoning.. I do want to show them and breed them. I want to breed some beautiful babies!! There is easily only maybe 2 people in my state that have true show quality duccles. I've searched high and low. I had my order ready to be placed with several from cackle of the duccles then i ended up digging on here and most said it's very hard or nearly impossible to get a show quality duccle from a hatchery. So I set out on a mission to find nice birds.... I want to get 2 to 3 different blood lines of the duccles and breed high quality chicks, as I said they're so hard to find here I know I would probably make a large profit off of them! Plus be super proud of my bloodlines lol!!

He has a wife but she didn't even step foot out of the house while we were there. I don't think she helps him with the livestock. But their dogs were inside and fenced in around their home so she may handle them and what not. But it seemed to me he handles all of the live stock side of things. But I could be completely wrong. It could of just been a busy day or past few days IDK! But i do know im heartbroken that baby is gone.

Girl I'd totally pay 100 a chick for a lifelong chick that would be AWESOME!!!
That's also why I love my bantams , they're so tiny compared to other breeds. I also have silkies, seramas, mottled houdans, silver laced polish and a lone cochin chick

I picked up a few chicks from TSC that come from the hatchery and that also left a bad taste in my mouth. Some that were at the store supposed to be silkies had only 4 toes , funky skin, some one also said they ordered silkie chicks from a hatchery and they didn't have feathered legs.. So I guess that also partook in my decision on why not to purchase the duccles from a hatchery.

Yeah, when I said I'd be pissed I meant I'd be pissed if he wouldn't give me a new baby. I wouldn't be pissed at all right now. Just really heartbroken. I want to know why my poor baby died as well. It's funny, because it doesn't change anything, but not knowing is just terrible. I had a baby hamster die of pneumonia, and I had no idea how she managed to get it. Vet said it could have been a million things. I've been so paranoid with my current one. I'm afraid to let her roam around much or get into anything because I'm afraid she'll inhale a little dust particle or something and die too. At least if I knew what caused the first one to die I'd know what to avoid.

I wish you luck on your journey as an aspiring breeder! It would be cool to be one of only a few in your entire state. That's special. Are d'Uccle your favorite breed? If you're going to be doing hatches you'll probably have more heartache to deal with unfortunately. Some of those little ones are going to pass no matter how hard you try.

I got some bantam cochins. I can't wait to see what they look like as adults. Most of my birds are going to be pretty small as adults (even the LF). The RIR and Australorp are probably going to rule the roost around here, lol.

 

[Willowspirit]

I am so sorry about your sweet little d'Uccle. I lost one of my first chicks at five days. She wasn't right but we kept trying and hoping. I left them for the night and when i came back in the morning she had passed but was still warm. If i had it to do over i would have done what you did and kept her near. Good luck with your next ones. (I hate to say it but the breeder sounds like a bit of a livestock miller.)

 

[Eggcessive]

Very sorry for your loss. You might want to check out this website for d’uccles:
https://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=PDBBS