UPDATE - pic added! RE: HELP! hatchling crying and won't stand

[jeannettea]

I just finished my first hatch (last one was over 10 years ago so this all seems new again!), and I didn't have a high success rate. Put in 14 donated eggs (guy said, "I have a rooster so they might be fertile but I dunno....." and then 7 more from my own two hens. Short story shorter, four of the 14 pipped, three zipped, and two lived (the other one still had its yolk on the outside and died soon after zipping).

Tonight I heard something (b/c my eggs were on @ a week later hatch date), and one had pipped and was coming out!!! The hatchling came out in a hurry- two hours from pip to out - but now it is having problems. It's been out of the egg an hour, and it is crying constantly and won't stand up. I noticed that one foot seems curled up underneath it and it doesn't unfurl that foot (leg seems fine).

It opens its little eyes, looks around, cries loudly, and then struggles but doesn't stand.

I don't remember the other two that just hatched behaving like this.......seems like they got up in a hurry to walk or else laid down and slept for a couple of hours while they dried off and fluffed out.

This little guy seems completely formed, and the feathers look to be drying out, etc., but I can't figure out what to do! His little umbilical stump is still a little bloody and raw looking, but he hasn't completely dried so maybe the others were like that and I just didn't notice (there were five kids here when they hatched, and I barely got a peek into the incubator or box all day long LOL)......maybe since it's the middle of the night and I'm the only one watching (and worrying) I'm noticing little things that mean nothing???

He seemed to be struggling on the wire floor in the incubator so I took him out and held him near the heat lamp (not so close it was too hot though - my hands could handle the heat), and he settled and then would start back up. I tried putting him in the brooder box but the other twelve chicks (got some from TSS to go w/ the two that lived from my hatch) kept pecking him so I moved him back to the incubator. Finally I put a big soft oven mitt in there and laid him on that in the incubator, and he seems to have calmed down somewhat, but every so often (every few minutes), I hear him start up and really shriek and carry on, then lighten up and just peeping, then going to sleep.........and then it repeats again @ five minutes later........

???????????????????????

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

At this point all you can do is to give it a little more time. Some do take longer to get their footing than others. I hope it will be OK.

Good Luck.

 

[brendapa]

I feel your pain!

I'm too new to incubating so I can not help you.

Moving him back to the bator for his egg sac/belly to heal was the best thing to do. I think you also need to keep it moist. I've read people have placed them on a moist cloth. Use 99 degree water. The curled foot/toes is another problem to deal with later.

Good luck and I'll bump this up.

brenda

 

[Kittymomma]

Just let him be for the night. Getting in and out of the bator is dangerous for the eggs still in there. There are a couple thing he could have going on with his feet/legs but they'll often work themselves out and waiting until the other chicks finish hatching won't hurt anything. Chicks like company and he'll likely settle down a bit once one of the others decides to break out of the egg. Congrats on the new chicks.

 

[Akane]

A lot of chicks take a day or 2 to start walking normally. I definitely wouldn't mix feedstore chicks which are several days to possibly a week old with newly hatched ones. Give them a couple days on their own. Even if you order day olds they take at least 24 hours and up to 3days to ship to you plus the feedstores will then feed them for a few days before someone comes to pick them up. Even a few days makes a huge difference in how active and able chicks are.

 

[Kittymomma]

How is the little one and the hatch coming along this morning?

 

[dianneS]

Oh, my I am having the same problem! I've got a big baby that just hatched and can't stand up either. She just lays on her back and struggles. She hatched over six hours ago. She did get herself upright for a little while and her feet were curled under her to. Mine took a really long time to hatch though?

It seems like she may be able to get stronger the more she works at it, I'm giving her more time.

How is yours doing?

 

[bigstack]

What is the temp/ humidity in your bator? Could be an issue! Curled feet could be vitamins. umbilicle I would dab a lil neosporin on. when ya get a chance. If I have to open a bator full of eggs. I take it into a HOT bathroom full of steam!!! I crank up the room heater and the HOT shower. It looks like I was IN the shower when I come out! LOL It's well over 100 and 100% humidity!!!! But its only for long enough for me to open, grab, clean, refill, replace, remove.....etc
Poli-Visol w/o iron from wally world, works good for struggling chicks! Wear gloves!!!! It stinks and is hard to get off skin! Vitamins.....Yuck!!!!
Good Luck and God Bless!

 

[jeannettea]

The little one is still hanging in there. Now he's up and walking around and in the brooder box, but he staggers - sort of looks like a drunk walking around in there. LOL The other chicks aren't paying him any mind.

He loves being held now. I pick him up, and he looks around then settles right down into my palm and goes to sleep (very different from the others who don't care for being held/petted at ALL).

His foot is uncurled and he is walking somewhat on it - but like I said, it's a drunk looking sort of walk, and only for a few steps (moving from the shady part of the box to the light or back again), and then he lays down and sleeps, and sleeps, and sleeps.

I've dipped his beak in water, and he's drinking, so every two hours or so I make sure he has a good drink of warm water......not sure if he's eating the chick feed yet as the others have kicked it out and are having fun scratching up the bedding, etc.

He's got a strong personality - if he doesn't like something, he lets me know for sure!!!

 

[bigstack]

Sounds Like your doing everything right! Just keep an eye on him. You can try some poli-visol liquid baby vitamins with out iron. You can dribble it on the side of their beak and they will drink it. Wear gloves!!! This stuff smells like Vitamins Peeee EEEewww!! it took 3 days to get rid of the smell. I scrubbed and scrubbed but it still smelled! I have some that love it and some that hate it! Think I gave $6 for a bottle. Congrats!!! Sounds good so far!

Good Luck and God Bless!