Little Bigfoot

[horsejody]

My eggs hatched yesterday and the night before. When there was only one egg left not hatched I became worried for it. It pipped, but the membrane wasn't breaking. It sat like that for hours. There was no progress and no rocking for a very long time. It was only day 20, but I had a bad feeling. Everybody else was ready for the brooder. One had been hatched more than 24 hours before. I decided to break the rules and opened the bator. I broke the membrane at the pip area. It was like leather!! The humidity had been 50% - 55% the first 18 days. After that It ran 68% - 70%. I think maybe this guy had been too close to the fan the first 18 days. He was so weak. I continued to break the rules and was glad I did. I carefully open his shell unil he popped out. He was huge, way too big for the egg. There was no blood and the yoke was totally absorbed. We put him back in the bator to dry and rest. Then my husband noticed his feet. The were massive compared to the others. He didn't move for hours. This morning he looked well and his feet are smaller. They must have been swollen. They are still bigger than most of the others though. I have a few extremely large chicks in this group. Would struggling in the egg so long make his feet swell?

 

[silkiechicken]

It's possible. But as long as he made it, it's good!

 

[horsejody]

I got in touch with the University Poultry people and described Little Bigfoot's situation. If a chick is too big for the shell and can't move to hatch, blood flow is restricted and fluid can be retained in the feet. It's not normally seen because a baby that restricted usually dies in the shell (not on my watch). She said that since LB was up and walking this morning, all should be fine. If anybody else has this happen, you can gently massage their feet to help the circulation and bring the swelling down.

 

[mamaspider]

I'm so glad you posted this - we have one that we had to help out - pipped, but couldn't go any farther and was peeping less and less - he was really smushed up in there with his(her?) feet all folded and they are enormous (about twice as big as the others)! I'll try the massage. My other concern about him is that he's a bit crunchy (his down is all matted). I tried a q-tip with some warm water and just gently rubbing, and put him back in the bator. He peeped like CRAZY and he's still doing it (about 15 minutes later!). Did I do something bad or is he (she) just really ticked?

 

[FLOWERPOT]

Sounds to me like she liked the rubbing and was mad cause you stopped!! lol:cd

 

[horsejody]

mamaspider,
I would just keep her warm. Little Bigfoot looked sticky for a while too. He eventually fluffed out. He did have issues with pasty butt when he was a fews dyas old, but all is well now. He was the biggest one in the brooder at first, but the others did catch up, and some surpassed him. Keep us posted on your baby.

 

[mamaspider]

So far so good... the feet look much better today, and he's much less wobbly. I finally wrapped him up in a dish towel and held him on my lap for a few minutes and he went right to sleep! Woe to me when I put him back.....! So I put a little stuffed animal (thanks to whoever suggested that in another thread!), and we were all able to sleep. Today he's a bit fluffier, but still pretty rough looking...

Here's a pic of the others for comparison...

*edited to try to correct photos*

 

[mamaspider]

sorry, i can't seem to get the pictures to work... i tried copying and pasting the url from flickr to the post, then highlighting it and clicking the img button... is that not right?

 

[horsejody]

They learn to like the attention I think. Little Bigfoot had pasty but for a few days and I took him out regularly to soak his fanny on a wet paper towel, clean him and wipe olive oil on him. He liked having his but rubbed. Now when I pick him up he waits patiently then, after a while, peeps in protest when he doesn't get his olive oil rub. I'm sure he's a rooster. Only a boy would demand that his butt be rubbed with oil.