Questions on Walking+Helping

[Etiole]

Hi All!

I've been incubating my eggs and one just hatched. My family and I were very happy because of this! But, unfortunately, it isn't walking. Is that normal for baby chicks? It is probably only a few hours old (no one was in the house when it hatched). Also, one of my chicks died while trying to break through the shell. If that were to happen again should we attempt to help it out of the shell, or is that just natures way of telling us it was to weak to survive?

Well, hope you can help!

Etiole

 

[faykokoWV]

they kind of flop around the incubator looking pitiful when they first hatch. Their legs will get stronger and they will walk. They will also kick around the other eggs.

As to helping, this is a much debated topic. The problem is if you open the incubator to help one, you loose your humidity and put all the rest at risk. Also, help too soon and they sometimes aren't ready (they still have to absorb the yolk) As hard as it is, your best practice is usually patience.

 

[Etiole]

Thanks for posting!

Do you have any answers for this one?
The incubator smells like rotten-eggs. We think we disposed of the egg that smelled, but does that mean that they have rotted and the chicks are dead? Or is that just part of the hatching process? Also, some of the eggs have cracked, but no little beak or something is pushing the egg open. Could they have cracked because the egg itself have gone bad and is internally exploding, or are they just starting and then taking long naps?

Hope you can help!

Etiole

 

[faykokoWV]

it could be both. rotten eggs will explode. Did you candle them on day18 before when you stopped turning. I have done a final candle at that time and toss any eggs that don't have a chick in them. They do start with a pip - a small hole in the shell and then take breaks while they work on it. Do you hear any peeping?

 

[Etiole]

Thank you for all the help!

We don't hear any peeps, but we got one out successfully. We tried to candle them a week or two ago, but we couldn't see anything...
They are fairly small holes, but they don't seem to be getting any bigger. Any advice?

Thank you for so much!

Etiole

 

[faykokoWV]

I don't know what day of incubation you are on. You should wait until day 25 to give up. You can leave the chick that hatched in there for 24 hours, then do a quick grab and put him in the brooder.

For future use, do a search on this site for "candling pictures" it gives you some idea of what you should see in the egg. I use the smallest size of maglite flashlite and hold it right up to the egg in a dark room. You should be able to see something by day 10. At day 18 its going to be mostly chick, so it will be dark and you can not see through it. If you can see through the egg at day 18 the embryo didn't develop.

If you decide to crack the eggs that are in the incubator now. Hold them up and listen first. if you hear a peep the chick is still alive. If you don't hear a peep, you may want to crack it outside or over the sick... could be fairly nasty in there.

 

[faykokoWV]

its very important to have your humidity high during the hatch. The chick that pipped and died may have gotten stuck in the shell due to low humidity.

 

[Etiole]

Okay, thank you!

We think the lack of humidity may have been the problem, but there are some small water drops on the plastic windows on the top.
Another one hatched! The first one may have been crippled, but we're not 100% sure. If they bones are still developing is there anyway I could straighten the crippled foot, or is it too late?

Thanks for all the answers! You've been very helpful!

Etiole

 

[faykokoWV]

http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html

http://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/chicken-orthopedics/leg-braces

 

[Etiole]

Thanks (again) for the help.

I think the problem isn't that it's doing some type of a straddle-split thing. More like it's toes are curled under the foot. Will duct tape work to straighten them out?

Etiole