Help with a malpositioned chick - how do I best assist it in hatching??!

[LaFleche]

I almost forgot:

Oregano
Chamomile
Aniseed
Fennel

is what I use for the welcoming drink.

 

[Aubjava]

LaFleche,

Thank you for your support and helpful advice. I am making a chamomile/oregano tea for all of the babies tonight per your instructions. We incubated 7 eggs of which we've had 3 belgian d'uccles hatch (including Blondie) and 2 silkies hatch. Another silkie is zipping out as I type! The last silkie has pipped, but is not zipping out yet.

I am relieved to hear that the "gunk" that was in Blondie's shell is just old blood and metabolite. She is doing better She has become more curious and alert. I am in the Western part of the united States, where it is currently a quarter past 8pm, so she hatched about 11 hours ago. I am hoping that she continues to heal and get stronger tonight! I need to pull together a little brooder for her still, and will do that soon.

 

[LaFleche]

How is everybody doing? I hope the last one managed to leave the shell by now and all are well and chirping away.

My next question would be: What is your setup for the brooder, do you use a heat lamp? In case you do the most important thing now is to show them how to drink on their own so they will not suffer from dehydration.

Wishing you all the best and keep us updated on blondies progress!

 

[Aubjava]

Everyone is well
5 of the chicks went down the road to my cousin's house where she has a brooder set up for them (last photo below). We are using a Brinsea EcoGlow brooder at her house, which the chicks have been enjoying so far. We've been showing all of them where to drink and eat. They really enjoy the little bits of hard-boiled egg that we scatter around the newspaper periodically!

The last chick to hatch out - a little blue/black silkie - didn't hatch until yesterday morning (so she is just about 28 hours old now). She hatched with curled toes, so we splinted her feet this morning using little cardboard cutouts. She is living with Blondie in a much smaller brooder box at my house. We thought about using a heat lamp for them, but my mom was worried about the house burning down and offered her heat pad instead. We cut out a cardboard frame for it to rest on so that the chicks can go underneath it, similar to the EcoGlow. I was a little bit hesitant to use the heat pad because I could not find any manufacturer's information on how hot it gets, but the chicks seem to be enjoying it and aren't complaining. It is a heat pad that doesn't automatically shut off, so they are getting 24/7 heat, which is important to note.

Blondie still has a little navel scab, but she is eating on her own and acting like a normal chick! I haven't seen her drink on her own yet, but I've been making sure she gets her tea a few times a day. I am cleaning her scab with vetericyn and iodine.

At first Blondie didn't seem too happy about her new roommate (she was pecking her toes and beak), so I held them on my lap under a down sleeping bag for a while to encourage them to get used to each other. They both fell asleep for a long time and seemed to be on much better terms when they woke up!

That's it for now - I will update on their progress in a few days!

Blondie today.

Her roommate

Their home/ the "get-well ward"

Card board frame for heating pad.

Brooder box for the 5 other chicks.

 

[LaFleche]

Everyone is well
5 of the chicks went down the road to my cousin's house where she has a brooder set up for them (last photo below). We are using a Brinsea EcoGlow brooder at her house, which the chicks have been enjoying so far. We've been showing all of them where to drink and eat. They really enjoy the little bits of hard-boiled egg that we scatter around the newspaper periodically!

That's great news, I'm happy for you.

But better not to have them on newspaper which is quite slippery and might lead to splayed legs at such a young age. You rather want to use pine shavings or even old terry cloth for the first two weeks.

The last chick to hatch out - a little blue/black silkie - didn't hatch until yesterday morning (so she is just about 28 hours old now). She hatched with curled toes, so we splinted her feet this morning using little cardboard cutouts.

All chicks hatch with kind of curled toes. Usually the toes straighten out during the next 24 hours, provided the have terry cloth or mesh to walk on. So maybe you give it a try and see if your cute silkie's toes are alright now.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ggs-no-pip-what-do-i-do.1374093/post-22599503