Orphan egg disaster

[chickepoo]

My hen hatched 4 chicks and hopped off the nest, leaving 6 eggs just shy of hatching to sit there. I put them in the incubator and one hatched yesterday and died shortly there after. It was bloody and the membranes were white and the chick had a clubbed or paralyzed foot.. I tried to fix the humidity but its not been easy. A second hatched this morning with some help from me as it was going on 24 hrs with no progress. She is dry now but cant keep upright. Its like she wants to stay in the fetal position or cant keep from rolling on her back. She is still in the incubator. I also noticed she has a yellow lump near her rump which I think is a bit of yoke that she is still resorbing. Is that ok? How do I help her stay upright and will she ever be normal? I tried a sock that didn't work and an itty bitty Dixie cup which worked better but she fights to stand so she doesn't stay in for long. Any suggestions?

I've raised so many chicks in my youth that we never doted on any so it was easy to deal with. Now that I'm older, I grow fewer and am paying close, loving attention and it breaks my heart. I never had to "save" any before...

 

[fried green eggs]

You could try giving her children's Poly-vi-sol vitamins. You could put some in a bottle cap and dip her beak in it to get her to drink some. Keep her warm and hope for the best.

 

[farmtotable]

If the chick is completely dry, take her out of the incubator and put her in some sort of brooding box with water and a heat lamp. I wouldn't worry about trying to force her to sit upright, she will naturally find the position that is most comforting to her. You can try adding some Chick Saver to the water for extra electrolytes. If you had to help her hatch out of the egg, there might not be anything you can do for her. As harsh as it sounds, I've never had luck assisting with a hatch. There's multiple vessels, membranes, etc, that if ruptured unnaturally can harm the chick. If they aren't strong enough to hatch on their own, that usually means something is wrong with them. There's really no way to know if she'll ever be normal or not, but if you can keep her alive for the first week or so, the odds are good she'll be okay.

You might also want to try putting a chick or two of the same age in the brooding box with her; there's nothing as sad as a lonely chick. A few weeks ago I found a freshly hatched chick in the pasture (this was days after my broody left her nest, so lord only knows how this chick survived!). She was obviously weak and dehydrated, so I put her in our brooding box with fresh bedding, a heat lamp, and some water with electrolyte in it. After about a day, she perked up, but cried non-stop with that heart-breaking call they use to find their mama. I tried sneaking her in with the broody hen, but she was rejected. I ended up going out and buying two day-old chicks from a farm down the road, just so she would have some company in the box. She's doing great with her two new friends!

 

[fried green eggs]

If she is alone for a day or two - I have added a small beanie baby for a lone chick to snuggle with and it helped as you can see. Right after Easter I bought a small wind up yellow chick just incase I ever need it again.