sickly chicks

[tinkestral]

to be honest I am a really upset because I don't now what to do . I have had chickens for years and dabbled a few times incubating. This year how ever I had two broody hens and a million eggs with a good heart I put twenty or so in the incubator.
The first ten or so hatched perfect but I have had three die in last few days . All three appear to have bad legs, The first looked like it was more a hip problem than splay legs and was a little fighter but after five or so days it went down hill and died. I have two that have looked sickly and have tried desperately to get them to drink they have been on the brink of death for a day or two and I feel god awful that these day old chicks are suffering.
Question is what would you do , is there any way I could still save them ??
vets not really interested

 

[HEChicken]

If they are hatching with bad legs it may be that your incubator is running a little high. Try turning it down a degree and hopefully that will solve the problem.

If you do have splay leg, I would check the floor of the incubator or brooder they are spending their first few hours in. It may be too slippery, and when they are just learning to stand and walk, if they get their legs splayed out on a slippery surface, it can stretch the ligaments, causing the splay leg. I love my R-com and most chicks, turkeys and ducklings hatch in it just fine but I had a turkey poult this spring that I watched get splayed just trying to stand and its legs kept slipping out from underneath. It was an easy solution. Now just prior to hatch, I place a terry close towel on the floor of the incubator to give them purchase when learning to stand and I haven't had another splay issue since.

Once the leg is splayed, it is fairly easy to fix using a bandaid. Wrap one end around one leg, stretch it across to where the legs are in a "normal" position and wrap the other end around the other leg. This will hold the legs in the correct position while still allowing them flexibility to take steps. My turkey poult mentioned above is now a full-grown - completely normal looking - turkey, after correcting it in the first couple of days after hatch.

If they are not drinking, try putting marbles in the waterer. They will want to peck at the shiny things and in doing so, will encounter the water.

 

[tinkestral]

ok on deaths door just lieing there but still alive

 

[CasadasHens]

Oh dear, sounds heartbreaking