scroungy looking leftover chicks

[wvcruffler]

Howdy all,

Well, the first 15 chicks are in the brooder now and are cute, fluffy little chicks. I left about 10 unhatched eggs in last night. Well, this AM there were 5 chicks! This was quite a shock as this is now day 25! They are dried up, scroungy looking things. These chicks looks like they are from the wrong side of the tracks! Anyway, I think they look too sickly to put in with the rest, so I am going to raise them (at least for a few days) separately until they are stronger. It this due to humidity drop? Perhaps they are just the weakest ones. Anyway, I'll take some pics later today.
Dr.Phil

 

[gabrielle1976]

You may wait 24 hours or so till there not so wobbly if you think you need to , I have had some pretty mangy chicks hatch late but they seemed fine besides looking awful.

 

[adrian]

Poor little monsters.

If the incubator environment was too dry as they hatched, their down will have become sticky, and thus unable to properly dry. Remember, sometimes fair can be foul and foul can be fair. I hope they do fine.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

My experience (what little of it I have) has been that the scruffy looks comes from dried egg white and membrane stuck to their fluff. I have "washed" them with a damp warm wash cloth and had good results, and also just plunked them in with the others with equally good results . . . the scruffyness seemed to fade after a week.