questions about new hatch chick

SuziQ

In the Brooder
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Had our first hatch begin today and one is lying on it's stomach with it's legs
stretched out behind him. Is this normal behaviour? Thought it might be dead
at first, but it's breathing okay but he seems to be spending all his time sleeping
and the other one is more active and up on it's feet. Hope it's just an exhausted
chick and not a problem.
fl.gif
 
Thanks RebelCowboy, I'm hoping that it's just resting, but have a
sick feeling that it's more than that. It just doesn't seem to be able
to get it's feet under it. It's started scratching and trying, but just
doesn't seem to be able to so far.

Any idea of humane ways to put one down if it is unable to use
it's legs? I hate even thinking about that, but can't stand to see
an animal suffer either.
 
Give it some time! I've had a bunch of chicks like that, that I was SURE would never walk and would have to be culled. I had a quail whose legs went out sideways! I gave them a day or two and they were really wobbly, but every single one of them has straightened out and is fine.

I think some chicks just need time to get those muscles working properly, especially if the chick is weak because of too cool or hot incubation temps or something.

One other idea is to put the chick with a bunch of other chicks. I had a chick who I thought for sure was a goner because she was lying on her back. I kept flipping her over but she kept rolling onto her back. Her legs didn't seem to work. I put her into the brooder with some (slightly) older chicks who promptly started running all over and stepping on her and periodically poking her. Well, she got up really fast! She figured out that she needed to move if she didn't want to be poked and stepped on and once she started using her muscles she got strong quickly. It took about 3 days with her before I was sure she was going to be ok. Now she's a perfectly normal 3 week old chick!

So don't give up! Give it a few days. As long as the chick's not in pain, give him a chance. When you figure how long it takes for a human to learn to use their legs properly, I think a chick deserves a couple of days to get things figured out if they need it!
 
yap, give him a chance, he deserve right to life also.

if in a week or two he didn't make it, then can have another way to help him avoid more suffer.
 

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