Set eggs 3/5. Looking for others to hatch with!

[wholewheatchicken]

Okay so I checked the incubator today and there was a funny smell coming from it. So I checked the temp. and it was a little high so I candled a few eggs and they were all right. Should I be worry?

I don't know as I have not experienced this so maybe someone with more knowledge will come along and help, but if it were me I would candle/smell all the eggs and try to pinpoint the problem as a bad egg in there could affect the others developing.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

I'm already giving it Poly-Vi-Sol and Sav-A-Chick (electrolytes/vitamins) as well as human Vit B, Vit E, etc, etc. It does not want to take anything I offer and I try hourly. I've tried softening food and egg yoke but it will not eat. It literally tries to back up (into the palm of my hand) away from food and liquids. I really think it wants to die.

My DH couldn't kill it this morning when I asked him. He actually called in to work to see if he could come in early. I'm hoping it will just die so we don't have to do it. Maybe he can try the car exhaust way. (Is that what you do?.......hold the chick by the tail pipe and let it breath the fumes?)

Another thing, I planned to sell it because it isn't a BBS so that wouldn't be fair to the buyer to have to deal with a sickly chicken (even if it got better temporarily).

My other weak chick seems to be doing better. It was the surprise hatch on Saturday morning (by itself). It just seemed lethargic and didn't thrive. I had been giving it the same special treatment as Big Head. But this chick responded to feedings by pecking and drinking out of the dropper. And when Big Head wouldn't eat the egg yoke/yogurt/scratch mixture this little guy dove in and let me put scoopfuls in his beak. I think that was his first real meal. And now when I look in the brooder, this little guy eats and drinks with the other chicks. I still give it "vitamin feedings" daily.

I don't know. Maybe I'm too sensitive for this.

Wish us luck.

It sounds like if it won't eat or drink it is not going to make it. DH did not hold it up to the fumes, he put it in a bucket and covered the top of the bucket and let the fumes go in the bucket. It didn't take very long for this chicken to pass, but it was our first time and DH told me he let the car run for 30 minutes or more. That was a bit much! That was our first chicken we had to put down. He was a beautiful splash silkie named Henry and he was such a sweet guy. If I had to guess, I would say he had wry neck before we got him and the stress of the move did him in. I didn't know as much about wry neck back then or else we might have possibly have done more in the beginning to save him and I wasn't told he had any problems from the seller. Now I've learned to at least ask and try to cover my bases before buying started birds. Wry neck is very common in silkies and they can get injured when they are older even from being pecked in the head by another bird or hitting their head on something. I had a pullet that was being chased by a roo not too long ago and my DH was outside with them watching them and did nothing to break it up and she ran into the lawn mower! Thank goodness she made it okay.
I know it's hard to see them go. You care about them and that's just that. It's not that it really gets any easier to put one down, it's just something you will learn to do.
I just had the runt that I didn't think would make it at my last hatch and I INSISTED to DH that he put it down, but DH would go downstairs and out to the barn like he did, but then later tell me he just didn't have the heart to because he could tell it was fighting to live. I totally forgot about it in the brooder box since I had so much going on. I remembered late the next day and went down and worked with it and it did just fine and now you cannot tell a difference. Sounds like your little guy who is coming out of it. But I did have another one that DH was going to put down that was curled up and it died on its own before we had to.
You just have to remember they are not all going to make it. In the wild they would not all make it and even if you had a broody hen they may not all make it. Focus on the ones you do have and fill yourself up with joy with them.
And just a final note, we always say a prayer over the little ones that are passing because I believe God cares about animals too.

 

[CALI CHICK]

You just have to remember they are not all going to make it. In the wild they would not all make it and even if you had a broody hen they may not all make it. Focus on the ones you do have and fill yourself up with joy with them.
And just a final note, we always say a prayer over the little ones that are passing because I believe God cares about animals too.

Thanks, Kim. My son's 4H Poultry leader might stop over today. She has experience with this and I may even have her do it so my DH doesn't have to. Killing a little fuzzy chick is ALOT different than killing a meat bird for dinner! Part of me still wonders if the Prednizone treatment would work, though.

I DO want to focus on all the other chicks. It's funny you mentioned praying for the chick. Yesterday I prayed for it @ breakfast and my son laughed at me. (I have always been such a softie with animals) Then last night I prayed God would just let it die in its sleep...and I wish it had. Oh well, maybe there's a lesson to learn here somewhere. I'll keep you posted about what happens.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

Thanks, Kim. My son's 4H Poultry leader might stop over today. She has experience with this and I may even have her do it so my DH doesn't have to. Killing a little fuzzy chick is ALOT different than killing a meat bird for dinner! Part of me still wonders if the Prednizone treatment would work, though.

I DO want to focus on all the other chicks. It's funny you mentioned praying for the chick. Yesterday I prayed for it @ breakfast and my son laughed at me. (I have always been such a softie with animals) Then last night I prayed God would just let it die in its sleep...and I wish it had. Oh well, maybe there's a lesson to learn here somewhere. I'll keep you posted about what happens.

It will not hurt anything if you want to keep trying to treat it. You may also learn a lot about how to treat also in the process as if you are going to raise silkies this is something you have to know about and how to treat. I couldn't save Henry because I didn't know enough, but what I learned from that experience will be helpful to others in the future.
I'm glad someone may be coming to help. Perhaps they will see something in person that will lead you in the direction you need to take. I have heard Prednizone is beneficial as it is swelling in the brain that is causing this. You are doing all you can.
I hope all the animals make it to heaven and I can continue to play with them there. They have been the main joy of my life since I was teenie tiny and I can't imagine not being able to spend time with them. My DH used to really hate that about me, but now shares in the fun and is attached to the critters himself. He just wasn't raised to see an animal as anything with value......
I will keep you and your little one in my thoughts.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

Can we rename this thread what would you like to share about your animal today? LOL!

I wanted to share a picture of my new roo. For anyone that sees it and wants to comment on his comb, yes, I know it is light. He won Best of Variety in his class so even though it is not the deep mulberry color, it must not be a DQ. His name is Winchester and I bought him from Marneypoo on here. His personality is absolutely adorable. I felt very blessed to be able to bring him home and add to my flock. I'm already doing calico in blue so this will be a lot of fun to work with also.

 

[CALI CHICK]

Can we rename this thread what would you like to share about your animal today? LOL!

I wanted to share a picture of my new roo. For anyone that sees it and wants to comment on his comb, yes, I know it is light. He won Best of Variety in his class so even though it is not the deep mulberry color, it must not be a DQ. His name is Winchester and I bought him from Marneypoo on here. His personality is absolutely adorable. I felt very blessed to be able to bring him home and add to my flock. I'm already doing calico in blue so this will be a lot of fun to work with also.

Oh, he's pretty! Oops, I mean he's handsome!

 

[wholewheatchicken]

Thank you....I love him to pieces already. I should try and get a pic of my calico roo who follows me around all the time and sits in the garden with me while I dig up weeds. He appears to be quite fond of me, but he also likes to bite me pretty hard. I don't quite know what to think about him. He's a fiesty little critter!
I am hoping to grow out some buffs, porcelains and lavendars to go with my project colors. I need to start scouting around for some more good eggs to bring in and try to hatch out.
How is your little silkie chick doing?

 

[CALI CHICK]

Thank you....I love him to pieces already. I should try and get a pic of my calico roo who follows me around all the time and sits in the garden with me while I dig up weeds. He appears to be quite fond of me, but he also likes to bite me pretty hard. I don't quite know what to think about him. He's a fiesty little critter! I think he's flirting with you! er-trying to mate you, maybe?

I am hoping to grow out some buffs, porcelains and lavendars to go with my project colors.

Beautiful! I need to start scouting around for some more good eggs to bring in and try to hatch out.
How is your little silkie chick doing?

I'll let you know if anything changes. I am giving him prednisone, but don't know how much he's swallowing?

 

[wholewheatchicken]

That is what some other people told me! So you really think he thinks I could be his girl? He appears to really, really like me and that's why I can't figure out the biting. He will grab my pants as I'm walking in the yard and try to hang on to them. I loves me to pick him up and I can carry him around all over and he never struggles or bites then. I take him out in the field. He goes every day in my arms to get the mail at the end of the drive. He sits in the garden for hours while I'm digging. If I go inside, he follows me and waits at the door. And it's pretty much only me he bites. He doesn't do it to anyone else. I have a feeling he would ride around town with me and be happy doing it. I think he was caged all his life until I brought him home. Him and his companions are in what I call chicken rehabilitation. They need to learn how to be chickens. They don't understand eating off the ground or scratching around. Maybe that is why he has taken such a stand with me since I am the one that does all the caretaking of him????? He's a funny little fellow.

 

[CALI CHICK]

That is what some other people told me! So you really think he thinks I could be his girl? He appears to really, really like me and that's why I can't figure out the biting. He will grab my pants as I'm walking in the yard and try to hang on to them. I loves me to pick him up and I can carry him around all over and he never struggles or bites then. I take him out in the field. He goes every day in my arms to get the mail at the end of the drive. He sits in the garden for hours while I'm digging. If I go inside, he follows me and waits at the door. And it's pretty much only me he bites. He doesn't do it to anyone else. I have a feeling he would ride around town with me and be happy doing it. I think he was caged all his life until I brought him home. Him and his companions are in what I call chicken rehabilitation. They need to learn how to be chickens. They don't understand eating off the ground or scratching around. Maybe that is why he has taken such a stand with me since I am the one that does all the caretaking of him????? He's a funny little fellow.

Yes, he thinks you are his girl. When we had our silkie roosters, Storm did the same thing to me. Your guy probably even does the little "mating dance" ... He'll kind of act like he's pecking at the ground and then he'll take a side step toward you and bite your shoe or pant leg! If you were a hen, he would be jumping on your back and biting your neck feathers.

I was kind of scared of Storm because he got me once or twice and it HURT! Interestingly, when he was re-homed and had his own silkie girlfriend, he has never bit or "danced" with his new humans!