Silkie thread!

[ChickNmamma]

Anyone ever have a chick hatch that can't walk with its legs out in front and sits on its butt? I have a little black bearded silkie under a broody that hatched today like that. It is very strong just can't walk. I gave him poly vi sol with out iron and hobbled him with a bandaid and put him back under mommy. Its not really splayed legs, but I thought hobbling might help. I really want to save him if I can. Can anyone help?

If he is under a broody pushing up against momma to get heat will correct that quickly. Leave him for a day and check him tomorrow - most newborns haven't gotten things like that straightened out yet.. Doesn't need hobbles and I wouldn't put anything on him that the hen will pick at and possibly hurt him.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Thanks Dian, my roo is red partridge and he has a light partridge , blue bearded, and buff partridge hen. The colours have been varied some with beards and some without.

 

[kabhyper1]

If he is under a broody pushing up against momma to get heat will correct that quickly. Leave him for a day and check him tomorrow - most newborns haven't gotten things like that straightened out yet.. Doesn't need hobbles and I wouldn't put anything on him that the hen will pick at and possibly hurt him.

He is under my LF cochin hen there is a white silkie and a blue silkie, 2 wyandottes and a minorca cross under her too that are doing great. I buried a blue one that didnt make it. Sad day. She won't kill him will she? He isn't weak. he flaps those little wings like crazy trying to get around. He doesn't try to put wight on his legs at all, but he does move them. I was worried he would hurt himself flapping sround. So I made sure he stayed under her. I should take the hobbles off then? Does anyone know what would cause that? When the others are fine? I'm curious because I have a broody silkie that has been sitting on 15 eggs for 2 weeks, and if this happens again I would like to know why and how to fix it.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I have had a few hatched in the incubator with hip problems. If you feel along the leg it is out of place. But this is almost certainly a turning or lack of turning issue that I have not seen with a broody. Silkies are prone to problems when line breeding. Fingers crossed this is just an isolated case for you.

 

[MandyFitch]

This is Twilight Sparkle, 5 weeks old. Are those streamers or just feathers overtaking fluff? I have three silkies that hatched the same day. They're all exactly the same size.

 

[MandyFitch]

And this is Princess Celestia. Any clues?

 

[PaintedFeathers]

And this is Princess Celestia. Any clues?

Those are just crest feathers in the top one, but i'm going to make a HUGE pull out of the air guess and say they are both roo's. Just going by the size of the space for the comb. Hope I am wrong but keep us posted!

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:
I think newborn chicks have that problem. The ones I had who did that were just borns put together with day olds. Under the heat lamp they just used to lay down and flap their way around or fall over backwards when they tried to stand up and run around with the older ones. They were the ones I took out the day they hatched, along with the ones I had left in to finish hatching who had no problem walking but were almost a day older. I have never seen one under a broody because they usually stay under until they figure out how to walk and push up for heat. People have said when they use the contact heaters for their brooders their chicks get over that very quickly - they need to push up to keep warm there too and it gives them an incentive to figure out how things work. The teacup is to teach them how to use their legs, because they need to stand up to see out of it. I wouldn't use it with broodies - she would probably just knock it over - perhaps on top of him or another chick.. not so good.

I don't think she will kill him, and I would take the hobbles off because I have noticed that chicks and chickens alike will peck at something that doesn't belong on other chicks/chickens. My chicks even pecked on other chicks toes for awhile, just because. Since it isn't splay leg I don't think the hobbles will do anything. Just keep tucking him back under momma until he gets the hang of it.

Your other chicks look older, so with the staggered hatching you might not have seen them when they didn't walk right - they would have stayed under momma and slept Now that the others are out the little one wants to come out to play too - but I would guess it just hasn't gotten the hang of walking quite yet. I saw one just after it hatched that momma kept tucking back under her when it tried to come out. The others hadn't hatched so it stayed under until it figured out the walking thing too.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote: Streamers on boys don't come in until they are 5 months old or so. So what you see are only crest feathers coming in - the "firecrackers" they will have on their heads and tails. Feathers overtaking fluff, exactly. Too cute!

I think the top blue one is not guessable (too young), but the bottom white one sure has a huge comb area - so I think Painted Feathers is right on it being a boy.

 

[kabhyper1]

Quote:
Okay thank you. He was hatched last night I think. The wyandotte that hatched today doesn't have that problem. Everyone else hatched yesterday. I hope he comes out of it. It's my first black. They were all born in the last 24 hours. The one blue silkie yesterday one blue silkie last night that died. The black minorca mix the white silkie and the one wyandotte all hatched yesterday. None of them had trouble that I saw. I saw them with-in hours of hatch. I don't think it is a hip issue, he kicks his feet just doesn't put weight on them.I fely around his hips and moved his legs around and he has full mobility. I named him Chance.