Poorly chick

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Kayla89

In the Brooder
Jul 20, 2021
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Long post alert! Sooo I work in reception at a school, the teacher got an incubator as we have been learning about life cycles. It was exciting at first but since the chicks have hatched I don’t agree with them being incubated! We had 12 eggs, 8 of them hatched. One of the chicks has already died, it could not walk when it was born and had curled toes. I tried my best to keep it fed and watered but I knew it was going to die and two days later it did. Now one of the other chicks has got a round lump about an inch under its bum. At first I thought it was due to pasty butt. I’ve cleaned the chick up with warm water and cotton wool by gently removing the hairs from the poo however I could see a round lump with a scab on it that looks like it’s attached to the skin. I have currently separated said chick from the other 7 as I’m worried it may be infected etc. Could anyone tell me what it is and how to help it? It’s constantly chirping and I don’t know if that’s due to pain or being seperated from the others. Another teacher who actually provided us with the eggs is taking them on Friday to go to new homes. It will be a relief really, I’m so out of my comfort zone with looking after chicks but I’m an animal lover and can’t just leave them to be ill. If anyone mentions having an incubator again I will definitely be dead set against the idea. Leave it to the experts I say!
 
Hi and welcome to BYC. The chick will most certainly miss the company of his hatch-mates / some kind of company (assuming other variables, such as adequate warmth, food / water are fine). Others will be along to provide feedback regarding the issue raised. Here are some links that may be helpful:

Best wishes

Pork Pie
 
You mean the chicks were left in the incubator and didn't have a brooder of some kind? How are you keeping the separated chick warm, they have to stay around 90 degrees (32 C) it also has to be with others, the lump will fall off, just dab neosporin or something if you're concerned about infection.
What are they eating? It sounds like a not completely absorbed yolk on that one chick. The chick with curled toes could have been fixed easily with chick shoes, to straighten the toes.
I'm not understanding when you say you don't agree with it, this type of work is normal with new born chicks, even the losses.
Perhaps your school needs to read up a little more before trying it again but it's good for kids to learn this.
 
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I just feel like I’ve been thrown in at the deep end and I don’t think a lot of schools are very educated on the process. I also feel incredibly guilty that things are going wrong (or I feel as if they are going wrong) when it wasn’t my decision to have them in the first place. That’s what I don’t agree with, if someone knows what they are doing then that is fine. Yes there was no brooder just the eggs in an incubator. They have a heat lamp. Do you think it’s ok to put it back with the other chicks then?
 
Welcome to BYC. :)

I'm really sorry about your chick problems and hope you find your answers. I've found a lot of good direction from this site

As @nuthatched has already said which I totally agree with, this learning process would be great for any child.

I really regret not attempting too learn about chickens when I first became a mother. I would dearly love my son and grandchildren too have chickens today.
 
Kayla89 said:
I just feel like I’ve been thrown in at the deep end and I don’t think a lot of schools are very educated on the process. I also feel incredibly guilty that things are going wrong (or I feel as if they are going wrong) when it wasn’t my decision to have them in the first place. That’s what I don’t agree with, if someone knows what they are doing then that is fine. Yes there was no brooder just the eggs in an incubator. They have a heat lamp. Do you think it’s ok to put it back with the other chicks then?
Click to expand...
No, most schools or people aren't educated in livestock anymore, that's why there is hundreds of chickens and ducks that get dumped after they're 'no longer cute' and people realize that they take work, especially after Easter. It's sad.
If your school decides to hatch again, direct them here, we have many guides on icubating and chick keeping and professional chicken tenders!
 
Kayla89 said:
I just feel like I’ve been thrown in at the deep end and I don’t think a lot of schools are very educated on the process. I also feel incredibly guilty that things are going wrong (or I feel as if they are going wrong) when it wasn’t my decision to have them in the first place. That’s what I don’t agree with, if someone knows what they are doing then that is fine. Yes there was no brooder just the eggs in an incubator. They have a heat lamp. Do you think it’s ok to put it back with the other chicks then?
Click to expand...
No, most schools or people aren't educated in livestock anymore, that's why there is thousands of chickens and ducks that get dumped after they're 'no longer cute' and people realize that they take work, especially after Easter. It's sad. No one gets any other animal on a whim as often as poultry.
If your school decides to hatch again, direct them here, we have many guides on incubating and chick keeping and professional chicken tenders!
 

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