Quail Chick lying on side in incubator

[ILUVQUAIL]

Anyone know why my chicks lying on its side in the incubator?? He hatched like 10 hours ago and I never noticed this until now. Also one chicks umbilical cord is stuck to the his shell, Should I pull it off?

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Edit: I just opened the incubator... Doesn't seem good, The little guy is really struggling walking... Please help

 

[JaeG]

I had one hatch like that and it lay in the incubator just twitching like it was still going through hatching spasms. It was like that all day with no improvement and I went to bed sure that I would wake up to a dead chick. The next morning it was running around the incubator like a normal chick, so I'd say give it a chance to recover in the incubator. You can cut the umbilical cord with scissors if it's still attached to the chick - if they don't rotate in just the right way as they hatch to break it then it stays attached. Fingers crossed it will recover just like our chick did but quail are very delicate babies and some just don't seem to recover from hatching so it isn't uncommon to lose the odd one or two in the first 4 days.

 

[JaeG]

That's awesome news!

As for your little one who isn't doing so well you could try some vitamins such as Nutridrench (I think that's what it's called) but I've never had much luck with the ones that aren't eating. That's the tough bit about hatching. It's often that their little organs haven't formed properly for some reason. It's always sad to lose a chick (I'm a complete softie) but you can only try your best and enjoy the ones that do make it because they are adorable babies.

 

[ILUVQUAIL]

JaeG,

Fantastic news!!! The chick is doing great and is running around and eating and just being a normal ole chick!

But I do have another question. One of the other hatchers shakes a lot. And I do not think its the brooder because the 5 others are completely fine. Is he or she going to be ok? And I never really see it eating. All it does is just kinda sit in his little corner and drinks a tiny bit. I also think the poor guys legs aren't the best. He walks but its a funky kinda weird walk. Hope he pulls through.

Any thoughts on how to help the poor guy who is shaking and doesn't eat?

Anyways thanks for the response

 

[le_bwah]

Can you post a pic? Ten hours is old enough to come out as long as no one else is actively zipping. How fluffed are they looking? Breathing hard?

 

[ILUVQUAIL]

I got 1 other pipping and one just recently hatched whom is healthy, besides the fact that half his egg is connect by his umbilical cord. Should I pull it off?


Ill try and get a pic. He is breathing hard and he just keeps kicking his legs. And he's actually not that fluffed. I wonder if my humidity is too high.

 

[le_bwah]

Is it brown and shriveled looking? Could just be egg snot. Either way, don't try pulling it off his belly; if you have to get it off, detach it from the egg side.

Humidity's probably a bit high, but that's typically a good thing during hatch. If there's nothing wrong with the chick's legs, it may be experiencing neurological problems. It's worth trying to get some vitamins and water into its mouth. Soak a cotton swab with water/vitamins (e.g. nutridrench, sav-a-chic) and hold it alongside the chick's beak. It should wick right in.

Good luck with your chicks, hope that one improves.

 

[le_bwah]

Give fluids, warmth, and wait. Sometimes things are wrong that we can't fix. Either way, you'll know soon enough. Sorry they aren't doing well.

 

[le_bwah]

Great news! I'd recommend water/vitamin treatment for the shaky chick, making sure they're warm and all that. Hope its legs can sort themselves out; do you know exactly what's wrong?

 

[ILUVQUAIL]

This is the poor guy. Any chance for him?

I have never seen him stand. and he sits against the wall of the incubator, to stand up straight