New chick Help!

Dcasperlve

In the Brooder
Apr 15, 2022
16
17
31
My 6th chick just hatched 12-15 hours ago, but I have run into a problem. It can't stand, and won't stand, while it's right foot curls a little. The chick just lays on its back while the others walk all over it or around it.... When I played with it's food it wouldn't even move it.

What should I do? Put it to sleep? Or try and fix it?
Honestly for the past few hours it just lays on its back trying to right it self then gives up. Is it a lost cause? Be honest with me please.
 
I'm so sorry. A spinal or nervous defect unfortunately may be the issue. I had a chick like this last year, that hatched and stayed upside down, kicking and then getting exhausted. Rolling but never righting itself, even after it dried off. It had an exposed spinal column. I didn't know until I picked the poor thing up a couple hours after hatch and examined it.
It was my first newborn chick cull. I said "I don't want to say goodbye, but I have to. I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything to help you." I held it to my cheek a little while. I wanted to feel like I could provide it one good thing before it had to go.
 
I'm so sorry. A spinal or nervous defect unfortunately may be the issue. I had a chick like this last year, that hatched and stayed upside down, kicking and then getting exhausted. Rolling but never righting itself, even after it dried off. It had an exposed spinal column. I didn't know until I picked the poor thing up a couple hours after hatch and examined it.
It was my first newborn chick cull. I said "I don't want to say goodbye, but I have to. I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything to help you." I held it to my cheek a little while. I wanted to feel like I could provide it one good thing before it had to go.
Thank you I appreciate the insight. I'll end it's poor suffering.
 
My 6th chick just hatched 12-15 hours ago, but I have run into a problem. It can't stand, and won't stand, while it's right foot curls a little. The chick just lays on its back while the others walk all over it or around it.... When I played with it's food it wouldn't even move it.

What should I do? Put it to sleep? Or try and fix it?
Honestly for the past few hours it just lays on its back trying to right it self then gives up. Is it a lost cause? Be honest with me please.
12-15 hours is a while. But honestly I wouldn't have given up so quickly. My duckling had a hard time in thr hours following her hatch, and kept flipping onto her back and kicking her legs violently in the air. She was just fine after being held upright for a couple hours.

Perosnally I would have put some vitamins in his water, and made something, maybe using an old sock, to keep him upright. Separated him from his siblings for a few hours and seen how he did.
This early on, there really are options. It's worth waiting until you get more feedback from more people, and look into the causes of this issue. Thats my thoughts personally.
 
Hatching can be a very arduous process, and some chicks (without obvious deformities) are very weak - as in can't stand or right themselves when they fall over - for 24-48 hours after hatch.

With weak chicks, I place them in a cup to keep them upright and offer a supplement like Poultry Nutri-Drench by mouth (on a Q-tip, just touching it to the corner of the beak to avoid aspiration) to address any potential nutritional deficiencies. Improvement should be seen within a couple of days. Sometimes that improvement is amazing, sometimes incremental.

Ultimately, you make the decision that you feel is right. After all that chicks go through to get to the point of hatch, I'm in favor of giving them some TLC if needed and a chance at a good quality of life. Others may feel differently, based on their own goals and circumstances.

Take care. :hugs
 

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