Sorry for such a long post! I just don't know how many details you all need. We have had chickens for only two years and made our first attempt several weeks ago at incubating some Welsummer eggs. I bought a 15-egg incubator and they seemed to do well, 7 of 9 grew, two failed around day 14.
Over the course of 3 days, of the 7 eggs, all but one hatched, which died sometime after pipping. Two days ago I noticed in the morning that one chick (then 4 days old) was very lethargic. I tried syringe-feeding her electrolytes and yogurt but her condition declined and she ended up dying about 8 hours later. That was two days ago.
Today I noticed that the smallest/last to hatch is not well. She is 5 days old and will not lay down at all, nor will she eat or drink. I have made sure the temperature is good, and have started giving her electrolytes and yogurt mixed with starter feed. I have had to clean her bum a few times as she seems to be sort of "leaking" watery/mucusy yellow poo, but her vent hasn't been crusted to the point of being closed. Once in a while she will sort of "come to" and start flapping her wings and peeping loudly in a sort of "telegraph", frantic sort of way, then get quiet, droop her head, bum pointed upwards, and go back to sleep standing up.
She seemed fine the first 3 days, although when she hatched her umbilical cord was still attached and took hours to dry up. It looks fine now though, just like a healthy scab. But I did notice (which is hard to tell since she is the youngest by a day) that she doesn't seem to be growing like the others. She is significantly smaller than the others who seem extremely healthy and perky.
Any ideas? I really don't want to lose her, too.
Over the course of 3 days, of the 7 eggs, all but one hatched, which died sometime after pipping. Two days ago I noticed in the morning that one chick (then 4 days old) was very lethargic. I tried syringe-feeding her electrolytes and yogurt but her condition declined and she ended up dying about 8 hours later. That was two days ago.
Today I noticed that the smallest/last to hatch is not well. She is 5 days old and will not lay down at all, nor will she eat or drink. I have made sure the temperature is good, and have started giving her electrolytes and yogurt mixed with starter feed. I have had to clean her bum a few times as she seems to be sort of "leaking" watery/mucusy yellow poo, but her vent hasn't been crusted to the point of being closed. Once in a while she will sort of "come to" and start flapping her wings and peeping loudly in a sort of "telegraph", frantic sort of way, then get quiet, droop her head, bum pointed upwards, and go back to sleep standing up.
She seemed fine the first 3 days, although when she hatched her umbilical cord was still attached and took hours to dry up. It looks fine now though, just like a healthy scab. But I did notice (which is hard to tell since she is the youngest by a day) that she doesn't seem to be growing like the others. She is significantly smaller than the others who seem extremely healthy and perky.
Any ideas? I really don't want to lose her, too.
