Slightly premature incubator chick with splayed legs

[Rebecca c]

Hi everyone! I am new to raising chickens (quarantine seemed like a good time to add to our farm with the kids all home!) We just hatched 4 eggs in an incubator. They pipped at 19 days, hatched at 20. 3 are strong and looking great! The 4th was stuck in its shell. It looked absolutely exhausted, but we did leave it alone for a full day to see if it would make it out on it's own before carefully intervening. It has splayed legs. I have made it a hobble and may need to correct its feet as well. It isn't drinking on it's own, so were helping it every 4 hours. It hasn't eaten yet and is about 1/3 the size of its buddies... any advice would be very appreciated! I know not every animal makes it, but were sure going to try! Chicks hatched yesterday morning.

 

[CurlyQuail]

Hi everyone! I am new to raising chickens (quarantine seemed like a good time to add to our farm with the kids all home!) We just hatched 4 eggs in an incubator. They pipped at 19 days, hatched at 20. 3 are strong and looking great! The 4th was stuck in its shell. It looked absolutely exhausted, but we did leave it alone for a full day to see if it would make it out on it's own before carefully intervening. It has splayed legs. I have made it a hobble and may need to correct its feet as well. It isn't drinking on it's own, so were helping it every 4 hours. It hasn't eaten yet and is about 1/3 the size of its buddies... any advice would be very appreciated! I know not every animal makes it, but were sure going to try! Chicks hatched yesterday morning.

Can you attach a picture of the hobble?

 

[Rebecca c]

Here is the little one with the hobble

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Here is the little one with the hobble

Is its head a normal shape, or are the feathers just messed up?? The head looks funny to me in those pics. If you hobbled the chick right after hatch, it *should* be corrected in a few days. Chicks can survive without food or water for 3 days. The little chickie is tired and worn out, and the hobble will certainly have a hard time moving with it on, but I wouldn't worry about it starving just yet. I'd take the hobble off on the end of day 2 or beginning of day 3 and see how the chick moves around. In the mean time, keep doing what you're doing. Show it where to eat and drink. I think you're doing the right things though. Good luck!

 

[Rebecca c]

Is its head a normal shape, or are the feathers just messed up?? The head looks funny to me in those pics. If you hobbled the chick right after hatch, it *should* be corrected in a few days. Chicks can survive without food or water for 3 days. The little chickie is tired and worn out, and the hobble will certainly have a hard time moving with it on, but I wouldn't worry about it starving just yet. I'd take the hobble off on the end of day 2 or beginning of day 3 and see how the chick moves around. In the mean time, keep doing what you're doing. Show it where to eat and drink. I think you're doing the right things though. Good luck!

I think its head is alright? But I'm definitely not an expert! It has a spot on its head where the fluff is still stuck down. I tried wiping it with a warm damp cloth (it has a spot on its bottom that hasn't fluffed up yet as well) I put it back in the incubator to dry off completely right after trying to clean it up. I took the hobble off last night to see how it was doing, but put it back on again. Its legs seem to be folding up by its head without the hobble on it hops around with the hobble on quite well. Still not drinking on it's own, but does well with some help. Someone said it might be so small because its icelandic. I've been 'pecking' at the food and water with my finger to show it what to do (this worked with the other 3 larger ones, they are eating and drinking well).

 

[Rebecca c]

Just removed the hobble to see how the little one is doing. The feet look nice and straight to me, legs are no longer sticking out to the sides. BUT the chick is still sitting back on its honches instead of using its legs... it does this on flat surfaces as well, but I've attached a pic of it in a cup (theres paper towel in the bottom) so we can see better. Any suggestions?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Just removed the hobble to see how the little one is doing. The feet look nice and straight to me, legs are no longer sticking out to the sides. BUT the chick is still sitting back on its honches instead of using its legs... it does this on flat surfaces as well, but I've attached a pic of it in a cup (theres paper towel in the bottom) so we can see better. Any suggestions?

Provide some water with vitamins and electrolytes in it and monitor her. How is the chick doing today?

 

[Rebecca c]

I picked up a vitamin package at our local farm store this morning and have added it to the water as per package directions. Chick is eating and drinking today and has the hobble on, feet are not taped any longer. Chick is still hoping on its hunches and separated from the other chicks. Lots of energy! Hoping it will improve with the vitamins.
Thank you for checking in an all your advice!

 

[Trisseh]

A chick chair may be useful to you; I would also confirm you don’t have slipped tendons because sometimes they’ll sit back weird on their hocks. They’re not necessarily actually splayed, but appear that way because the legs stick out at an odd angle from the hock joint.
The foot visible in the cup appears rotated bottom out so definitely take a look at those hocks.

This link Has some extremely useful info on a multitude of mobility issues and may be of help to you as well.

I had a Legbar chick that had terribly messed up legs at hatch; she was hobbled, but ultimately went into a chick chair for a couple of days with wraps on because she had slipped tendons. Then when she came out of the chick chair, I hobbled her and put her in a smaller container so she could use the “walls” to learn how to balance herself. You would never know to look at her now, that she had any issues as a chick.

 

[Rebecca c]

Sad day baby didn't make it. We tried helping with food and water, hobble, vitamins in water. She was flopping on her side today so tried a chick chair and lots of supervision. Just passed poor little one. She's our first loss on the farm thank you all for your helpful advice. At least we kept her going this long and I know I tried everything I could.