Newly hatched chick (helped out of shell) is a little weak and shaky...is there anything I can do?

[maggienchamp]

Hi everyone
Saturday morning 3 out of 6 of my Orpington eggs hatch! Yay! The fourth was pipped and partially zipped late Saturday morning. I frequently checked on the little chick but Sunday morning there was no progress made. By late Sunday night I made the decision to help her out of the shell. The membrane was extremely dry and hardened...there was no way she was going to make it out without my help
At first she wasn't able to stand up or walk, but by Monday morning she was wobbling around the incubator This afternoon I moved her to the brooder and separated her from the others. Two of the chicks were completely fine with her, but one of them was pecking at her back (her back is missing quite a bit of fuzz due to peeling off the dried membrane

).
The little chick is doing very well considering what she went through! However, she is a little weak and shaky when she stands up or walks around. Is there something I can do to help her gain some strength? I have some vitamins and electrolytes I can put into her water, is there anything else I can do? I'm not sure if it's because of the missing fuzz, but she looks smaller than the others. I just want to get her back with her siblings asap!
Thanks for any feedback or advice!

 

[sumi]

The vitamins and electrolytes will help and you can also give her little sugar water to up her energy levels a bit. Poor thing's probably exhausted from trying so long to hatch. Congrats on your chicks, by the way!

 

[maggienchamp]

Thanks for the reply! There has been such a huge improvement in the little chick since yesterday, she is barely shaking anymore, and she's been running around with the others. Plus her back is almost completely covered in fuzz. You'd almost never know what she went through by just looking at her!

 

[sumi]

That's wonderful! I'm glad she's better. These little fluffy things can wreak havoc on our nerves somedays LOL

 

[maggienchamp]

Oh my gosh, yes they can! I don't think I've had one stress free hatch yet...but I still love it!

 

[sumi]

That must be why they are so cute, to keep us hooked! LOL There's nothing like holding a newborn chick and they are still a bit stupid, no instinct yet, so they totally adore anyone who gives them attention. And when you struggle with a chick and you pull it through, there's nothing quite like it!

 

[maggienchamp]

You're right - or else we wouldn't be so inclined to keep hatching them haha

And I love the fact that they are so trusting, especially the sickly or "special needs" ones!

 

[sumi]

Oh those ones do me in! I used to sit and stare at them, willing them to live, forgetting everything around me, not moving, just staring until I'm so stiff I feel like a pretzel when I get up LOL And then a day or 2 later I'll look at them running around and think "All that stress you caused me, now look at you"

I think I'll stop hatching eggs when I'm 80!