Hi to all the hatchers who have way more experience than me.
I would really appreciate some opinions on these chicks They're going to be culled tonight if they don't & can't improve. However, If a could find a vet to diagnose and mend them, I would take them. My DH says that's not likely.
I have two day-old chicks who hatched a little puffy or swollen on their bottoms. They can't walk right. They paddle their legs out forward (not splayed), with wings flapping. to try to get on their feet. Their bottoms are like a baby's diapered butt. They weigh them down. One has his legs band-aid taped as if he were spraddle legged. His legs are fine, but this doesn't help him. He s drunk more water than the other chick, and so his bottom is bigger. He has discomfort.
Here's a reprint of the question I emailed a 4-H poultry specialist.
THE MOST STRIKING SYMPTOMS ARE: 1-NO PEE/POO 2- HEAT INTOLERANCE, EVIDENCED BY LOTS OF PANTING & THIRST
They will not take crumbles. The less swollen one wants too. They are not weak.
Swollen chick details:
There were 7 silkie bantam eggs incubated. 6 pipped, 5 hatched, 1 never pipped. Of the 5 that pipped 3 are perfectly "normal". They run, tweet, eat, poop, play.
The first one and the fourth one that hatched are the large-bottomed ones. The bottom is heavy & feels somewhat puffy, like a baby wearing diapers under clothes, or the testes on a male hamster or rat. The navel is completely closed on both, but the dark (silkie) skin is taut from umbilical region down to vent. They have different mothers, the same dad. Some other symptoms and notable traits are as follows:
1--aversion to heat --not comfortable at incubator (95F) or brooder (88F) temps. They pant until removed. They are comfortable at 70-75 F ...our bedroom & kitchen areas.
2-- little thirst, no appetite.
3-- lack of or inability to pass fluids. They don't pee or poop. Unfortunately, the first hatched is now very swollen, because I've been feeding water with an eyedropper.
The second hatched is moderately swollen & has had little fluid.
4--Both the swollen chicks have amazingly plush chick down. They're prettier than the healthy chicks, with more fully feathered feet. The down is thicker, rather than longer, all over including on the neck & head.
My Hovabator Genesis had an egg turner and was kept
99.5 -100.5 F days 1 - 18. Humidity was
48-55% days 1-18.
After I took them out of the turner on day 19, I had a problem getting the temp back to 99.5.
So the incubator temp was
98.5 -99.3 the last 3 days. Humidity inside the incubator was
70-75% throughout the day 19-20, rising after a few chicks hatched to 82% for the last half day. All chicks hatched on day 21.
I opened the 'bator 3 times to remove chicks, each time less than 5 seconds, each 6 hours apart. I set a stopwatch
so I know
Swollen chick one hatched at 6 am of 12/10/09. Two more chicks hatched at noon. Swollen chick two hatched at 10 pm.
One more chick hatched at midnight. I have used humidifiers in the incubator room to keep the humidity 50-70% in the room.
I have good ventilation in the 'bator, with 4 extra holes in the styrofoam lid.
Thanks for the help!!!!
I would really appreciate some opinions on these chicks They're going to be culled tonight if they don't & can't improve. However, If a could find a vet to diagnose and mend them, I would take them. My DH says that's not likely.
I have two day-old chicks who hatched a little puffy or swollen on their bottoms. They can't walk right. They paddle their legs out forward (not splayed), with wings flapping. to try to get on their feet. Their bottoms are like a baby's diapered butt. They weigh them down. One has his legs band-aid taped as if he were spraddle legged. His legs are fine, but this doesn't help him. He s drunk more water than the other chick, and so his bottom is bigger. He has discomfort.
Here's a reprint of the question I emailed a 4-H poultry specialist.
THE MOST STRIKING SYMPTOMS ARE: 1-NO PEE/POO 2- HEAT INTOLERANCE, EVIDENCED BY LOTS OF PANTING & THIRST
They will not take crumbles. The less swollen one wants too. They are not weak.
Swollen chick details:
There were 7 silkie bantam eggs incubated. 6 pipped, 5 hatched, 1 never pipped. Of the 5 that pipped 3 are perfectly "normal". They run, tweet, eat, poop, play.
The first one and the fourth one that hatched are the large-bottomed ones. The bottom is heavy & feels somewhat puffy, like a baby wearing diapers under clothes, or the testes on a male hamster or rat. The navel is completely closed on both, but the dark (silkie) skin is taut from umbilical region down to vent. They have different mothers, the same dad. Some other symptoms and notable traits are as follows:
1--aversion to heat --not comfortable at incubator (95F) or brooder (88F) temps. They pant until removed. They are comfortable at 70-75 F ...our bedroom & kitchen areas.
2-- little thirst, no appetite.
3-- lack of or inability to pass fluids. They don't pee or poop. Unfortunately, the first hatched is now very swollen, because I've been feeding water with an eyedropper.
The second hatched is moderately swollen & has had little fluid.
4--Both the swollen chicks have amazingly plush chick down. They're prettier than the healthy chicks, with more fully feathered feet. The down is thicker, rather than longer, all over including on the neck & head.
My Hovabator Genesis had an egg turner and was kept
99.5 -100.5 F days 1 - 18. Humidity was
48-55% days 1-18.
After I took them out of the turner on day 19, I had a problem getting the temp back to 99.5.
So the incubator temp was
98.5 -99.3 the last 3 days. Humidity inside the incubator was
70-75% throughout the day 19-20, rising after a few chicks hatched to 82% for the last half day. All chicks hatched on day 21.
I opened the 'bator 3 times to remove chicks, each time less than 5 seconds, each 6 hours apart. I set a stopwatch
so I knowSwollen chick one hatched at 6 am of 12/10/09. Two more chicks hatched at noon. Swollen chick two hatched at 10 pm.
One more chick hatched at midnight. I have used humidifiers in the incubator room to keep the humidity 50-70% in the room.
I have good ventilation in the 'bator, with 4 extra holes in the styrofoam lid.
Thanks for the help!!!!
