Help with my chicks! They can't walk!

[Judy]

The belly button will probably heal on its own, too. Might just keep an eye on it in case someone gets a notion to peck at it.

 

[meriruka]

If mom hen is beating them up, maybe just move them to a box with a heat lamp?

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

it doesn't seem that the hen is going to make much of a mother

and your kids play with newly hatched chicks too?

the chicks odies are very soft and can be damaged very easily by handling them

You should just let them rest and either put them with the hen or take them out and put them under a light
the taking them out and putting them back only breaks the natural condition of their learning what to do
the hen may treat them worse when they come back
and also the constant holding them leaves your smell on the chicks
chickens do pick up smells
either let them be in with the hen or in a box under the light.

the guilt you feel is not the issue it is the well being of the little chicks

most chicks stay a bit frail for a couple three days and they can't make up their mind to be a chick or be protected
hopefully they will get stronger

they will follow the lead of the hen

 

[California Ducken]

Should I put them in with mom during the day even though they are still weak? Or just keep them in a little box with a cap full of water and medicated starter. And a heat lamp.

Thank you for your quick replies.....You guys are awesome here!!!

 

[California Ducken]

NO NO NO NO NO no one does. They can only peek in. That's it!!!!

 

[California Ducken]

Ok. That answers my question. Thanks!!!!

 

[mypicklebird]

I would not keep taking them out and putting them back in with the hen- if they are poor-doers, take them out and keep them in a brooder full time. My main comments would be is if these chicks could not hatch on their own and they cannot walk normally now- this is probably related directly. To hatch, they need to first pip, then rotate in the shell to pop off a circle of egg shell. They could not do this, as there is something wrong with them- likely with their legs- as they cannot walk now. Spraddle leg or splay leg can be a heritable problem or incubator problem. If you want to keep these chicks, you need to address this problem, if they are not dramatically getting better on their own. Chicks with spraddle/spay leg kind of look like they are swimming with their legs, and cannot stand normally- sometimes it is one leg, sometimes both. Most people who breed chickens will cull these guys- as it can be heritable- you don't want to promote this gene in your birds if you are hatching eggs! If you just have pet birds- you can try to correct this with tape 'hobbles' to bring their legs underneath them in a more anatomical position- but you need to do this early, not weeks later after they have started growing. A bird that cannot walk, will rapidly get sores on it's hocks and chest/breast bone as it grows larger. So if it does not correct/get better- you need to humanely cull the chicks.

 

[shay20]

I agree maybe you should take them out and put them under a heat light. temp 95. I had to do the same thing when my hen hatched her chicks, she always layed in her broody box and the chicks would jump out and not get back on there own.
so i took them put them in a box with a light.

 

[California Ducken]

Ok out it is. No they do not have sprawled legs. They can sit upright with legs underneath them and move around slightly like a really bad drunk. They mostly sleep and try to peck but usually end up passing out for a few minutes because they are so tired. They did pip and started to make a circle, but once these eggs pipped the hen was tearing at the shells to get them out. And she wasnt nice about it. These are the last 3 to hatch.(even though there are 5 more that havent hatched) They hatched Sun afternoon about 3 PM. Other than being really tired and extremely drunk, not eating and barely drinking.....they are fine. Well as fine as they can be.

Thanks!

 

[California Ducken]

Here is my worst baby. It always has its eyes half closed or just closed. Very sweet baby. Still no eating. It throws its head waaaay back to drink and then falls asleep with its head back.