Premmie Chicken

[cute chickens]

Hi
I've just had my first bad hatch (not that I've had much experience with good hatches). Power went out twice during incubation, once during lockdown. 7 eggs made it to lockdown. 2 started zipping at day 19 then stopped (and died). 2 hatched on day 20, one fine and one premmie. 1 hatched on day 21 and is the healthiest (and is gorgeous I might add). 2 eggs did not hatch.
My premmie was born with the yolk not absorbed and is tiny, had hardly any feathers, eyes still closed. Kinda got a bit stronger over the next few days, opened its eyes. Last night I was convinced it was going to die it was just so weak, but it didn't and today has been up and down.
I'm trying to feed it watered down chick starter and I'm keeping it in the incubator for warmth (seems to be cold in the brooder, and the other 2 attack it if I put it with them).
I know I should probably let it go, but at times it just shows so much strength and I can see hope.
Is there anything else I can do for it, or am I doing everything I can now?
Put it this way, if it dies I won't be devo because I know I've tried so hard to keep it alive, but as I just said to my husband, if it lives its going to be my favourite and it will live the high life lol!
Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some chicks are just not meant to make it but some are such fighters you want to help, especially when you feel it is not their fault. I do understand.

Is that chick eating and drinking on its own? If it is you do have a much better chance. Has it absorbed the yolk? It will get a lot of nutrition from that. It needs to absorb the yolk. I’m not sure how much moisture and nutrition it is getting from the yolk right now.

One risk is dehydration or the yolk drying up before it is absorbed. Keeping it in the incubator with high humidity is probably a good idea. That would be my biggest concern, that the yolk dries out so it can’t be absorbed. So take pains to keep it moist and warm.

It may not need any more nutrients if it is living off the yolk still, but the only thing other than what you are doing is to give it some added energy. You can maybe get some electrolytes at the feed store but another source is to use hummingbird syrup or just mix sugar with water and give it that. Use a medicine dropper to put a drop of liquid on the tip of its beak. It should swallow that. If you try to pour liquid down its throat you are likely to drown it. It needs to drink on its own so it goes down the right tube. If it won’t swallow a drop on the tip of its beak don’t try to force it.

 

[cute chickens]

I thought it only gets nutrients from the yolk for the first 3 days, which is why I've been trying to get it to eat (It was born 3 days ago now). It doesn't eat by itself, but it will drink water (then it falls into the water, gets wet, then cries until it is dry). The yolk has mostly been absorbed although there is a black bit on its bottom which looks like dried yolk?? It is still pooing, which I took to be a good sign. I will try the sugar/water now and go to the feed store in the morning to get something else. Thank you for replying. Atleast I know I'm on the right track.
It sure is a little fighter, but loves to snuggle too.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I thought it only gets nutrients from the yolk for the first 3 days, which is why I've been trying to get it to eat (It was born 3 days ago now). It doesn't eat by itself, but it will drink water (then it falls into the water, gets wet, then cries until it is dry). The yolk has mostly been absorbed although there is a black bit on its bottom which looks like dried yolk?? It is still pooing, which I took to be a good sign. I will try the sugar/water now and go to the feed store in the morning to get something else. Thank you for replying. Atleast I know I'm on the right track.
It sure is a little fighter, but loves to snuggle too.

I don't think ridgrunner caught the part where you stated it had been a few days, that's why he was talking about the yolk needing to be absorbed, (though I could be wrong). I couldn't give up either in your case, actually I was in a like situation with my last hatch and had a turken chick that had problems hatching. After hatch he seemed alright and gained strenth, but had severe pasty butt. I could not clear it up. Tried the apple cidar vinegar and the sav a chick digestive packet in the water and just could not get it to clear. The first 6 days, he was seemingly strong and active, then he'd have a day where it was questionable, but he seemed t o bounce right back. I think it was the 8th or 9th night when I knew that he had taken a bad turn and wasn't going to make it. It was hard loosing him even though I knew it was going to happen. He died before morning.

TSC and I would think the feed stores usually carry a sav a chick electrolyte pack that you put in the water. I use that in the chicks water for the first couple days, regardless. Make sure that if he is falling in the water that you have rocks or marbles in it so that he doesn't drown. Good luck and keep us updated on how he does.

 

[cute chickens]

Unfortunately little one didn't make it. I woke to her chirping at about 2am as soon as I picked her up she snuggled into me and fell asleep. I gave her a bit of water and put her back in the incubator. 3am she was chirping and doing ok (not great, just ok). By 5.30 when my husband gets up for work he thought she was dead, but when I got up at 6.30 as soon as she heard my voice she started chirping. I picked her up and gave her more water, but she wasn't very good. We had cuddles, but I had to put her down to get kids ready for school. When I went to check on her about half and hour later she had passed. I believe it was for the best. She just wasn't meant to hatch in the first place.
Thank you for your support and advice.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Unfortunately little one didn't make it. I woke to her chirping at about 2am as soon as I picked her up she snuggled into me and fell asleep. I gave her a bit of water and put her back in the incubator. 3am she was chirping and doing ok (not great, just ok). By 5.30 when my husband gets up for work he thought she was dead, but when I got up at 6.30 as soon as she heard my voice she started chirping. I picked her up and gave her more water, but she wasn't very good. We had cuddles, but I had to put her down to get kids ready for school. When I went to check on her about half and hour later she had passed. I believe it was for the best. She just wasn't meant to hatch in the first place.
Thank you for your support and advice.

Awe. Sorry to hear that.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I had a similar situation a week or so ago. I had a miserable hatch from my Silkie eggs, which also went through 2 rather long power outages. I had 2 hatch, one of them was normal the other was the smallest chick I've ever seen. It had absorbed its yolk, and appeared normal in every other respect, just tiny. So much so, that it looked too small for the egg it came from. It was eating and drinking on its own, but would just sit under the heat lamp with its eyes closed the rest of the time. I had high hopes that it would survive, but a few days in, I found it passed away in the brooder
Its a hard thing to deal with, but sometimes its for the best.
Sorry you lost your baby.