Sick chick

[suzc]

I just hatched 5 bronze turkey chicks - 4 hatched by themselves without much trouble - 24 hours later the 5th I could see had internally peeped but had made no external pip s I made a pip hole - he made no attempt to hatch so I assisted - after another 12 hours or so he did make it out but barely made any effort himself - only had to fall out of the shell really - I left him in the incubator for 24 hours and this morning I got him out - he doesn't look good - he seem to be blind in 1 eye and can't stand, both legs seem to work but he keeps pushing himself over his left side so he lands on his back - I have fed him vitamins and minerals and a bi of egg yolk with a syringe - any more tips ?? Or should I just cull at this stage ?

 

[Fancychooklady]

As tempting as it is to help them, I don't anymore. Every chick that I have assisted has struggled and eventually died. If your chick didn't have the strength to pip, then that was mother natures way of thinning out the good from the bad. As sad as it is , chances are that it will die anyway.
Sorry

 

[suzc]

I have had a few that I have assisted had to be culled too, however I have had quite a few survive and go on the be healthy birds - I currently have 1 beautiful 5-6 week old sole survivor of a hatch - I assisted him but didn't with the others and they all died in their shells- I think this was due to humidity - this time I went much lower for the first 25 days and 60-63 for the last 3 days and most of them got out.

I also have a lovely cream leg bar cockerel - last of 3 to hatch and again needing assisting - he is smaller than the others but a beautiful healthy 2-3 week old chick now

I have never had a chick with blindness or with this sort so one sided bias - I'll give him 1 more day in case it is some sort of reversible swelling in his brain or something and then decide what to do - I would welcome any more advice or experiences people have

Thanks for all replies - it's always easier to make these sort of decisions with someone to talk to :/

 

[Fancychooklady]

Yes, it's never nice to make that decision , my last 2 hatches were only at 50% hatch rate. The ones that didn't hatch were perfectly formed. The 2 that I helped died at 3 and 5 days. With the blindness and leg issues, it could be that there wasn't sufficient turning throughout incubation.

 

[casportpony]

I just had one that was slow to pip then didn't make any progress, so I helped it. It was much weaker than the others, but appeared normal. It took it about 24 hours before it tried to stand and that whole time I expected it to die, but now it seems fine. Maybe your little one just needs time?

-Kathy

 

[suzc]

Unfortunately he tried to stand all day and just kept flipping himself on his back - I think his spine must have been twisted or something like that - he also couldn't open his right eye at all - had almost no drinking reflex when his beak was dipped in water in fact almost didn't bother to lift his beak out of the water so I had to cull him - very sad but sometimes I suppose they are just not meant to survive

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for your loss.

-Kathy