South Carolina

[Joycats]

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Not sure exactly what you're describing but I will tell you that my d'uccle's always hatch early. They're the first of any batch to hatch and I usually have some hatch at day 19.

They are in lockdown now...I am hoping for all 3 but one I am pretty sure is bad...we lost power sunday morning and the temp dropped to 86 in that bator...I am hoping I am seeing internal pipping...I marked them all so I know which are the ones I am worried over...then I have 3 more next tues for lockdown...she is laying 3 a week usually and I am trying to hatch all I can right now,some to sell and some for my own flock!!!

THANKS!!!

Fingers crossed, let us know how it goes. Those D'uccle's are really tough little chicks.

 

[monkeemakr]

Hi guys,

Well, last night, with the one peeper now quiet and never finished zipping, my son went ahead and opened the incubator. To our surprise the chick was still alive, so he finished the zip and put him back in and he popped right out. The problem now is with his feet, he's not walking, looks like the outer toes are cramped up or crippled. He was a HUGE chick. Is it possible they might straighten up now that he's out of the egg? The little thing is such a fighter. I don't want to have to cull him, but I don't want him to suffer either. My son did the egg-topsy and we lost 5 full term silkies, 7 BCM, and 6 Light Sussex. I'm just heartbroken. Suzanne, thank you, knowing I'll be able to get those wheatens Friday helps, but oh, this hurts. This is just my third try at incubating, and I was so happy, until the power went out on day 20, everything had been perfect this time and the eggs had looked so good at lockdown, especially for shipped eggs. Oh well. Now he is going to try his hand at hatching some Ancona duck eggs in it, he's been waiting for it to be empty. Let me know if you guys think the little chick has a chance. He was terribly cramped in there, and yesterday was day 25. Any suggestions on how to help him would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Deb

 

[monkeemakr]

Dixiebeast,

Hoping for the best for your d'uccles. What is it with the power company these days????

 

[huckleberryfarm]

Quote:
It could be that he was just squished in there and will get back to normal and stretched out soon. Or it could be that he has a deformity which is why he couldn't hatch. I have seen somewhere on here where you can make something like a snowshoe for a foot like that. Do they call it bumblefoot? I wouldn't do anything yet. See how he does over the next few days. Hope he lives!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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If the chick pipped internally, as I understand you to be saying it is pipping through the membrane inside the egg but not the shell and it is still moving, then all is good. Movement is good. I do not watch my eggs so closely so I am not as good to help with this. I figure God let them do this for thousands of years without my help so I will let it continue. I try to keep my hands off, if possible. Not that I actually have over the years but I try.

Dropping to 86 degrees is pretty bad to possibly kill a hatch but I always continue with as much hope as possible.

I understand about the high humidity after washing. Debra and Donna came over yesterday to pick up chicks and brought another 60 eggs to set so I cleaned out Debra's Lil Giant still air and am waiting for the humidity to level off in it. I guess I will set them this morning sometime. Chicks can sure make a nasty mess at hatching!

 

[monkeemakr]

Thanks Suzanne. He just has such a will to live, so he may make it ok. As long as he's not suffering and manages to walk at all, he (or she) may just become a family pet. He's tough to have made it through all that. And I think our incubator got down in the mid 80's when the power went off too.

I had a crippled chicken when I was little that was my pet. She could get around, but I was always chasing the darn guineas off her. Even crippled up, this is one tough little guy.

 

[huckleberryfarm]

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I have a Blue Wheaten Ameraucana boy that is 8 months old and can't use one of his legs. He just hops around on one foot. But he can eat and drink and seems happy. He's always been like that. As long as he's not in pain, and he doesn't seem to be at all, he'll live forever here. You never know!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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You will sometimes see deformities occur when the heat gets too low or they pip and then get stuck in the shell for too long.
I have a Guinea that has bum feet. I made her shoes but she would not keep them on and she can't use her feet at all. She walks on her ankles (if you can call it that) and I feel bad for her since she can't roost with her friends.
I will keep some roos that are like you describe but only to grow them out and then ....you know. But they have a life of good eating beforehand. They will get picked on if left to manage on their own.
If you want to care for this one then go ahead. It is your bird. I am not sure they are really in any pain unless they develop abscesses or bumble foot (which is where a Staph infection sets up when the skin is broken).

I am sorry your hatch was not good. It sometimes happens, especially when you can't depend on what you pay for. We have a generator for such times as the power company fails. Send a spaceship far into the outer stars but can't seem to keep our power working. Maybe if they would sink money into where we live instead of where we will never thrive, maybe we would all do a lot better. But I digress.

There are many threads and places on the Internet that show you how to tape feet up to help them straighten. Chicks do much better than Guineas with it and I have done well with a few chicks.

Good luck!

 

[monkeemakr]

Thanks Amy, I'll check out about the taping the feet up.

 

[gvilledh]

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I've read tons of stuff on here about taping the feet. Just search under the baby chicks area for crooked toes and I think you will find something. Good luck!