New chick has stiff, curled toes; trouble walking

[Chickeria]

Thank you for the wonderful update, I'm so glad to hear he is doing so well
And thank you for posting this incredibly sweet video - all three babies are gorgeous and seeing your littlest one doing that speedy sprint made my day

Awesome!

 

[OfWolvesAndHen]

Thank you for the wonderful update, I'm so glad to hear he is doing so well
And thank you for posting this incredibly sweet video - all three babies are gorgeous and seeing your littlest one doing that speedy sprint made my day

Awesome!

The little sprints are too funny! He even tries to jump on top of the brooder plate like his big brother/sister... but he's a bit tiny for that yet. Lots of falling down. But he's certainly determined!

I'm more than thrilled to be sharing this video and update because I really was worried about the little guy, especially since I've heard lots of horror stories about chicks who needed an assisted hatch. I thought about letting nature take its course but he was really trying hard to hatch. He zipped successfully, he just couldn't push out fast enough. I figured he had the will to live, he was ready to hatch and deserved a fair shot at life, and I'm so glad I decided to help him! I hoped his issues were just due to pipping at the narrow end, and since he's doing so well now I think that's all it was

 

[Chickeria]

I personally think that it was absolutely the right thing to help the little one hatch and give him a chance, and me, too I'm so glad you decided to help him

I once read when they need longer to hatch they keep growing in the egg and so do the feet and this can lead to problems in some cases but I don't think this is the case with your little one because you stepped in fast enough - I think you are right and it was because of pipping in the narrow end.

 

[OfWolvesAndHen]

I personally think that it was absolutely the right thing to help the little one hatch and give him a chance, and me, too I'm so glad you decided to help him

I once read when they need longer to hatch they keep growing in the egg and so do the feet and this can lead to problems in some cases but I don't think this is the case with your little one because you stepped in fast enough - I think you are right and it was because of pipping in the narrow end.

If he had only pipped I would have waited, but several hours went by after he had zipped which told me he was ready to hatched, but couldn't. I went downstairs to check on him at around 5 AM and he had a good zip going, to my delight! I watched and waited for about an hour with no progress, but since he was very mobile and talkative I thought he may just be taking his time. At noon, he still hadn't hatched! I was unsure of what to do, so I asked a friend who hatches chicks and ducklings and was advised by him to help out.

Good thing I did, too, because the membrane was beginning to dry! He wasn't shrinkwrapped or stuck to the shell, he just couldn't seem to get out. I tried to remove as little of the shell as possible at a time to give him the chance to wiggle himself free, but he just pushed and pushed with no success. I had to hatch him entirely by hand. He just about had club feet from the moment he came out of that egg and no good foundation to push from, since his feet were in the air cell... no wonder he had such a hard time!

Seeing him so healthy and happy after hatching him myself is especially rewarding. I don't want to play favorites, but I absolutely have a soft spot for him.

As an aside, here's a bit of a silly story:
I'm staying at my parents' house until spring semester when I can (hopefully) move back on campus. These eggs were offered to me as a gift by a family member who has her own flock, after her own kids weren't interested in hatching them. Being the animal lover I am, and having years of experience in hatching far more high-maintenance exotics, of course I took her up on the offer! I thought of it like a 4-H project, but on personal terms. We don't have a coop so I never planned on keeping them into adulthood, just like I don't keep the hundreds of axolotls I hatch! But my mother has never liked when I raise babies (that's what you get for raising me on Steve and Terri Irwin, mom!); she loves animals too but she always raises a kerfuffle about the ones I bring home. My father is an enabler but even he didn't want these hatching eggs. But I'm an aspiring zookeeper! You expect me to refuse an offer to care for animals? I knew I had the time and resources to raise happy, healthy chicks, and as an adult with my own autonomy, of course I took them despite all the bellyaching.

Anyways, my father is in love with them now and my mother has been warming up to them too. She (lovingly) refers to them as little drumsticks, nuggets, etc. The night Ganymede hatched, I was advised to put little shoes on him to correct his toes. I tried and tried to do it on my own but was unsuccessful, and my mom was the only other person home... guess who I had to ask for help?

It was sure funny watching her struggle to strap the shoes on his little kicking feet after all the complaining she did during the 3 weeks of incubation. Even she has a soft spot for him now. She nicknamed him "Cheetos" because she thought his little curly toes looked like Cheetos puffs. I knew from the beginning she would soften up. Nobody can be mad about a baby chick!

 

[Chickeria]

To me it sounds like you did everything right in the right time windom - not too early, not too late. As I understand that's the difficulty in assisted hatching: getting just that time window.

Oh wow, axolotls! Those are interesting animals, too, and to me they look incredibly cute!

Your reference regarding your mom and the Steve and Terri Irwin tv show made me really laugh
It's heartwarming that your mom and dad got attached, too, and that your mom tried so hard to help with the shoes.
Now I'm curious: are you going to keep the little ones? Will your parents care for them while you are back in college? - - ...Will you be purchasing or building a coop soon ?

 

[OfWolvesAndHen]

To me it sounds like you did everything right in the right time windom - not too early, not too late. As I understand that's the difficulty in assisted hatching: getting just that time window.

Oh wow, axolotls! Those are interesting animals, too, and to me they look incredibly cute!

Your reference regarding your mom and the Steve and Terri Irwin tv show made me really laugh
It's heartwarming that your mom and dad got attached, too, and that your mom tried so hard to help with the shoes.
Now I'm curious: are you going to keep the little ones? Will your parents care for them while you are back in college? - - ...Will you be purchasing or building a coop soon ?

Unfortunately I will not be keeping them! I plan on building a coop someday, but for now I'm just dipping my toes into the hobby of keeping and raising chickens. Indoor chickens are allowed in my residence but we can't build a coop or free range them, and I'd prefer them to live a nice adult life outdoors. So, I plan to sell them as a straight run, lots and lots of passionate chicken keepers in my area. Hopefully though, one of my buddies will find some room in their flock.

 

[Chickeria]

I see
I'm sure you will find loving homes for these sweeties. It would be great if you can stay in touch and see how they all develop, especially little Ganymede!

 

[OfWolvesAndHen]

I see
I'm sure you will find loving homes for these sweeties. It would be great if you can stay in touch and see how they all develop, especially little Ganymede!

I agree! I'd really love to see the 3 of them go to an acquaintance or friend so I can hopefully keep up with them all, but I especially want to see Ganymede grow. I'm so proud of him for not just surviving, but thriving. He's even fighting his way up to the top of the pecking order!

 

[Chickeria]

Hi OfWolvesAndHen how are little Ganymede and his two friends doing?