New baby chick is not getting up...

[Lafrank]

Hi, I am a teacher and we have hatched some chicks in an incubator. The first one started hatching yesterday at around 3pm and finally got out of it's shell at around 11:30am today...since then it has mostly been lying down and looks in a really awkward position...it just flaps it's wings every now and then and cheeps. Another chick has since hatched with no problem and has been hopping about the incubator. What should I do? I have left them in the incubator and was going to move them to a brooder in the morning and try to give it water? Any help would be very much appreciated!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I recommend patience. The chicks have to go through a lot to prepare to hatch. It’s possible that one had not totally completed all of those things and is laying there finishing up. The environment inside that incubator is probably the best it can have to finish up if that is the problem.

Unfortunately some of them are pretty weak when they hatch and just don’t make it. It’s really rare for me to lose one after it makes its way out of the shell, though that occasionally happens.

I’d expect it to be up and moving around when you get there tomorrow morning, but just in case you might want to get there can check before your students.

Good luck!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Any update on that chick?

 

[Lafrank]

It died I'm afraid :-( the other one is very healthy but we have just introduced two other slightly larger baby chicks to keep it company but the original one keeps pecking their eyes! I've heard this is normal?!