is this quail chick viable?

[kateb77777]

The chick was the last of the eggs, it pipped fairly big hole but I'm not sure if that was before or after I had taken other hatched chicks out of the incubator.

But it was struggling, the membrane was brown and dried out. it was stuck to part of its beak and to a lot of the chick. So I did attempt to assist it to hatch as it had been an incredibly long time.

When i did there were no veins etc on the membrane and it was so dry it would have died in the shell anyway unable to get out. so thought it worth a try.

But the chick is very weak. it has been a day and if myself or someone else doesnt give it water in a dropper it doesnt drink. it eats if its sitting on top of food but doesnt seek food out.

The other chicks are too boisterous and peck it so its separated from them but it's not doing much.

Occassionally it will have a spurt of energy but one of its feet is curled so it's not very good at walking.

it cheeps quietly when it sleeps.

I think I'll have to cull it because I cant keep giving it water all the time and sprinkling food in front of it. it has to seek those things out for itself but it's not and it's been a day and a half since it hatched.

I've learnt my lesson though. dont assist a hatch. just let it die in the shell if it cant get out. because the chicks can end up weak and probably should have died...nature's way I guess.

 

[rlchatham]

Unfortunately, you are right. As much as it pains us to let a chick die in its shell, we must let nature take its course. If a chick isn’t strong enough to hatch itself, then chances are high that it won’t survive or have life that’s productive or pain free. I’ve proven this time and time again. Even if they do survive, there is inevitably something wrong. (ie: sickness, lameness, or physical deformities.) That’s the reason it couldn’t hatch on its own.

 

[maadroj]

I had two eggs hatch very late. Both pipped the same night, but only one completed hatching. The other didn't make any progress. After about 30 hours, I helped him hatch. He could barely get himself out of the egg even with assistance, and after he did, he keep falling over on his back and having a hard time getting up again, like a beetle. He had curled toes and walked on the side of his foot. I was worried it had been a mistake to assist, yet I didn't regret giving him a chance. But he kept waddling about and soon became the boldest, and eventually the fastest, of the brood. And his toes straightened out on their own. He did eat on his own, and I also supplemented his food with yeast for B vitamins, boiled egg, etc.

If your chick is suffering and not making any progress after several days, it may be best to put it out of its misery. Just wanted to share that you never know how an assisted hatching may end up.

 

[Nabiki]

I'm pretty new to hatching, and I've assisted 4 chicks that weren't making it out on their own. I had to cull 3. I think it was worth it because of the one I was able to save.

 

[kateb77777]

what is the best/kindest way to cull quail chicks?

 

[Nabiki]

Sharp shears and a quick tug? I beheaded mine. I hated it.

 

[kateb77777]

thanks

 

[Ebony Rose]

what is the best/kindest way to cull quail chicks?

Sharp kitchen shears, cut off it's head, and I personally flush them down the toilet (I have septic, so it's not like it's going to a treatment plant).

 

[kateb77777]

thanks