Live chick in trouble - graphic pics - help!

[Cherlyn]

The response from you all is astounding... I am so glad that there is a BYC.

~Cherlyn

 

[Hens_And_Chicks]

Cherlyn - I just wanted to tell you I share your loss with you - we all learn from our first experiences far more than we can from being told by someone else.

You did a good job of working to salvage your error but don't be so hard on yourself. These chicks are fragile but they are also amazingly resilient if they are meant to survive. For whatever reason, nature culls the weak which appears to be cruel to us humans but necessary for the survival of the race.

You'll never make the same mistake and you'll always remember this as a special experience, no matter the outcome not being what you hoped it to be.

 

[Felicia]

I am so sorry for your loss.

You gave the little guy a chance to know what it feels like to be loved. When ever people give me sick animals (and I take care of them till they pass) my dad always reminds me "It's better to love then to have never loved at all." Just think, instead of leaving this world horribly, he got a chance to feel loved from your family.

 

[favoritekitty]

My children and I are sending you hugs from Massachusetts

 

[ChickenDreamer]

from Canada as well.

 

[thechickenchick]

Oh sweetie, I am so sorry.

I was hoping for good news as well. However this may just be a blessing in disguise, now you and he can rest.

I often care for sick kittens, usually tiny ones that Mom has left to die. I sometimes have a happy ending but often that is not the case. I used to beat myself up and wonder what I did wrong. I should have done more or known more. Then one day my husband said "You did all you could, it just wasn't meant to be. He is right. Had I not found the babies and tried to save them, nature would have taken its coarse. I choose to try because I can't stand living with the thought of letting something die when I may be able to make a difference. Will I do it again? You bet!

So dust yourself off, take a deep breath and know that you did everything you knew how to do, it just wasn't meant to be, this time.

 

[Big Red]

Quote:
Cherlyn, just letting you know that you were not alone going through that process with your chick.

I dealt with that exact same thing with a baby chick 2 weeks ago. Never got the chance to sleep while taking care of it but when i finally did close my eyes and woke up he was in heaven by then. It was a learnt lesson...so reading what you wrote...let's just say you had to make that mistake to learn from it and know what to expect and how to approach a similar situation next time. I beat myself up but i aprrecaited the experience after. Now i have suscessful hatches because of it. For example... I placed an egg in the bator some time ago and forget when i put it in there and thought it was a dud. But after candeling it and watching it closely i let it be....guess what....i woke up this morning to a healthy fuzz ball and one more on the way that worked out the same way. We live we learn.

Also just the same thanks to helpful people on BYC. Better results with togetherness. Tougher results with self doings!

 

[Cherlyn]

Thank you all very much... you are all right. It was his time to go, because he was not meant for this earth... and he is resting now.

Thanks to those of you who are sharing your stories as well... each one of them is so very special (and instructive to boot). I am thankful to be a part of this community.

~Cherlyn

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Cherlyn - i'm so sorry for your loss. You really did all you could. And it was very brave of you to share this story step by step. This thread will help many people.

The decision to intervene or not is based on experience, but also intuition and gut feeling. But ultimately, it's up to that little chick, her health, and will to live that determines the outcome. i'm going through multiple hatches right now and have had some tough times. i helped one little baby out after it pipped and didn't zip and think i should have waited a bit. So the next pip i left alone. The next day when it hadn't zipped i went to check. It was fully formed but dead. i guess i didn't help soon enough. Argh!

All you can do is the best you can do. You went above and beyond for that little chick, so please don't feel bad at all. Thank you again for sharing your journey.

Colleen

 

[lisahaschickens]

I agree wholeheartedly with Colleen... who is to say that Cherlyn made a mistake at all? Too many people are saying she "learned from her mistake." This may very well be true, but it is not "for sure," and I think it's a bit harsh to continually say at this time because she did her best and now needs comfort and support. That baby may never have even made it out of the egg at all if it weren't for her. She did her best and possibly gave it a life of one day out of the shell that it wouldn't have otherwise had. Maybe it would never have made it out of the shell at all on its own. Like Colleen said, she has also not helped enough or soon enough! You just never know. Simply put, not all chicks are slated to make it to adulthood. We all know that and expect some losses. It's hard, but that's reality. I commend Cherlyn for her brave efforts and long vigil and her willingness to keep all of us posted on the progress... with pictures even. Let's all wish her well and great luck with her other babies!