Our late hen's brood - an experiment

[TXChookstead]

Nice! So the chicks will pretty much turn out as Australorps, lol.

Yes. One of the cockerels we have kept from a previous hatch looks 100% Australorp to my eyes, but we've had a few teenagers with pea combs, and he has a re-homed brother with both a pea comb and a gorgeous splash of red across his back. That guy is now living the life of Riley with a harem of 23 hens!

 

[TXChookstead]

I am going to take a guess that age played a huge role in the refridgerated chicks.

I suspect that you are right.

 

[TXChookstead]

Alas, it isn't just the little guy's legs, it's his neck, too. He can only look to his right, and his neck seems to have a big curve in it, no doubt from malpositioning. He can stand up better now, but ends up falling in everything. I am feeding him egg yolk via eyedropper and making sure he gets water. Right now he is chirping up a storm, most unhappily. I know many cull at this point, but he is fighting so hard that I can't bring myself to that. Wondering if it's wry neck, and if that improving would help his balance?

 

[TXChookstead]

Just got some vitamin E into him. Trying everything....

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

Pull through little dude!

 

[TXChookstead]

Well, he made it a week. The contorted neck was probably the worst part for him, and not something I could fix. As before, I'm guessing it was due to the malpositioning. We named him Fredly. Rest in peace, sweet little fellow.

Though malpositioning can happen with any aged egg, the lower hatching weight with yolk absorption issues, etc., I saw in chicks that hatched from older ones means I'll stick with newer eggs in the future.

Thankfully, all Fredly's brothers and sisters are doing well, including the littlest ones. I think I have found a home for the majority of them (friends who are getting back into chickens on a new property). Lila would be pleased.