Setting some eggs 5-13-15. Looking for some folks to hatch a long with me.

[RubyNala97]

I had one chick that couldn't stand well, and mainly walked backwards until it fell. Kept looking up, too.

In a shot glass I put half a boiled egg yolk, a pinch of electrolyte powder and a squirt of honey with enough water to make it runny. Every two hours I gave him a dose with an eye dropper. Amazing difference and he is walking more normal and even pecking at the chick crumbles.

This is good to know!! I'm glad he's doing better!

 

[FridayYet]

Wry neck??

I don't really know. His head wasn't twisted at all, he would just look up at the ceiling. It was cute/funny/sad that he didn't want to duck under the brooder plate, so would turn around and go in backwards. I had read about "star gazing" which could be caused by a neurological problem OR by a thiamin deficiency. This was the big chick that I helped zip, so maybe he used up all his yolk reserves early??

Thinking that may be the case, I figured some egg yolk (which has thiamin and other good stuff) sugar for energy, and a more concentrated bit of "sav-a chick" electrolytes couldn't hurt. Seems to have worked in just a few droppers full.

 

[altair]

Final tally:

Swedish Flower Hen: All 4 duds :/
Hedemora: 1 infertile / 1 who failed to hatch / 5 hatchers
Barnevelders: 2 who didn't hatch / 11 hatchers
Isbar: 1 egg, one chick

4 infertiles / 1 quitter / 3 who failed to hatch

17 chicks, all so far healthy with no hatch issues and good toes, from 25 eggs. All I care about is it was an improvement from last hatch (9 chicks from 24 eggs, some of which were shipped) so I hope they get successively better.

Thanks for letting me share the incubation and for posting results of your own! I really liked following along with everyone's progress.

 

[FridayYet]

Definitely was fun to share this with others!

Too bad about your SFH, would have been nice to get one or two. Hooray for the Isbar, and all your other numbers look good!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I don't really know. His head wasn't twisted at all, he would just look up at the ceiling. It was cute/funny/sad that he didn't want to duck under the brooder plate, so would turn around and go in backwards. I had read about "star gazing" which could be caused by a neurological problem OR by a thiamin deficiency. This was the big chick that I helped zip, so maybe he used up all his yolk reserves early??

Thinking that may be the case, I figured some egg yolk (which has thiamin and other good stuff) sugar for energy, and a more concentrated bit of "sav-a chick" electrolytes couldn't hurt. Seems to have worked in just a few droppers full.

Star gazing is a description for wry neck. Selinium and vitamin E are two of the big "fixes" along with the electrolyte. I use sav a chick in my water the first two days after a hatch regardless. I have never (knock on wood) so far had any problems with that. Lots of people use the poly vi sol too.

 

[FridayYet]

Thanks Amy, good to know. All of the pictures I've seen of wry neck had the head down, down and twisted to the side, or twisted over the back. This goofy chick had it's beak straight up to the ceiling.

I'll keep an eye on it and pick up some vitamin E and Selenium tomorrow if he starts doing it again. At least now he can run forward and peck at the food with the others.

 

[kzane23]

Well, no duck. Today was day 23 and i did a quick candling befor i spritzed the little guy and right under the air sac was a large clear space, no veins and no movement. I opened the egg and the little guy was covered in yellow, yolk like junk but his yolk sace was completely intact. It looks as though he had already absorbed about half of the yolk too. I'm going to make an amatuer call and say that the little dude drowned in the yellow stuff. @AmyLynn2374 do you have any insight?

 

[cppeace]

you do realize that ducks don't hatch for 28 days right? He was prolly fine.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

you do realize that ducks don't hatch for 28 days right? He was prolly fine.

xs 2 What kind of duck was it??? The majority of the duck breeds hatch on day 28.

 

[kzane23]

He was a Pekin Swedish cross and he was definitely dead. And i know ducks hatch on day 28.