I had to assist a chick hatching yesterday, after incubating under a broody hen. I successfully got him out of the shell, but he was very weak and shaky. I put him under mama with the two chicks that hatched on their own and hoped for the best.
This morning when I checked on them, he was extremely cold and almost lifeless ... I suspect because he wasn't strong enough to climb up into mom's feathers. I decided to warm him up to assess before culling. He woke up, started moving and peeping, but was still very shaky and unable to stand, as you can see in the video linked below:
I gave him a couple drops of Nutri-drench and tucked him into a warm mother hen cave made with a heating pad. (I have brooding plates, but don't think they will keep him warm enough in his current condition, as he cannot stand to press up against them.)
I was preparing myself to cull him; however, the next time I checked on him he was stronger, lifting his head and looking around. He is trying to stand, but still not succeeding. However, given that he HAS improved, I'm not quite ready to quit on him just yet.
That leads me to my question: What else can I do for this one-day-old chick to maximize his chances? He is responding to the heat and nutri-drench, but if there is something else that can be done, I'm willing to try it. He has not yet had access to food and water as he still has his yolk to nourish him. I will probably set that up for him later today if he seems strong enough to eat and drink on his own. If I can get him eating, I will offer him some mashed egg yolk. What I'm looking for now is ways to help him get to that point.
Once he is strong enough, my plan is to put him back with mom, but I need to know he can follow her and keep warm before I do that.
This morning when I checked on them, he was extremely cold and almost lifeless ... I suspect because he wasn't strong enough to climb up into mom's feathers. I decided to warm him up to assess before culling. He woke up, started moving and peeping, but was still very shaky and unable to stand, as you can see in the video linked below:
I gave him a couple drops of Nutri-drench and tucked him into a warm mother hen cave made with a heating pad. (I have brooding plates, but don't think they will keep him warm enough in his current condition, as he cannot stand to press up against them.)
I was preparing myself to cull him; however, the next time I checked on him he was stronger, lifting his head and looking around. He is trying to stand, but still not succeeding. However, given that he HAS improved, I'm not quite ready to quit on him just yet.
That leads me to my question: What else can I do for this one-day-old chick to maximize his chances? He is responding to the heat and nutri-drench, but if there is something else that can be done, I'm willing to try it. He has not yet had access to food and water as he still has his yolk to nourish him. I will probably set that up for him later today if he seems strong enough to eat and drink on his own. If I can get him eating, I will offer him some mashed egg yolk. What I'm looking for now is ways to help him get to that point.
Once he is strong enough, my plan is to put him back with mom, but I need to know he can follow her and keep warm before I do that.
