One of my chicks may have a problem????

[Stevenson]

I'll post pics as soon as I can (charging the battery on my camera).

The last chick to hatch (last night at some point) doesn't seem to be acting completely healthy. I moved it into the box with the rest of the chicks, but it didn't seem to be warming up so I moved it back into the incubator. It seems to be doing a little better since then, but I noticed that this chick seems swelled up more than the others...specifically around it's rear end and possibly around it's neck. It was a bit pasty, so I cleaned it off. Does anyone have any ideas?

It also seems to be having some trouble walking right.

 

[Stevenson]

I can't get a great picture....but maybe these will show you something

 

[jennifersmith326]

from what I can tell, looks like maybe the yolk was still being absorbed. IDK for sure.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

How long did it take to hatch? It could be just a little weak.

You can try and dip it's beak in some sugar water. I hope it does OK.

 

[Stevenson]

It pipped yesterday about 3:30 pm or so....and it hatched over night some time. I'll try the sugar water.

 

[Stevenson]

You can see in this picture that there is something wrong with it's left foot/leg

 

[kathyinmo]

Some chicks just take a little longer than others to "recover," from the hatching experience. The swelling you are seeing near the rear is likely just the yolk it is still absorbing. The foot should straighten out within a day or two. I have had a foot look like that one day, and the next day it looked fine.

That said, I have found that if something is gonna be wrong with a chick in a hatch, it is often the last hatchers. I would just give it a couple days and see how things go.

Good luck!

 

[Stevenson]

Thanks Kathy! Being new to this game, I really don't know what I am looking at!

 

[Coldweatherbirds]

My last 2 have curled toes/crocked feet and one of them also has a swollen neck like that. I read about making shoes out of bandaids to correct the feet and giving vitamins to help... some think this is a a vitamin deficiency (go to the diseases index and search crooked feet or crooked toes chick). I got the infant vitamin drops and added it to the water. I also mixed a little sugar water with the vitamins and gave a couple drops to both of my pathetic chicks. I made the booties for one, but the crooked legs are too severe. I'll give them both a couple days and then cull them if they con't improve. Yours doesn't look so bad, maybe you'll have better luck?