What's your success rate with "helped" chicks?

[Sunny Side Up]

What's your success rate with chicks that you have to help hatch from their eggs? In my limited experience, it seems they don't do well. They may live for a few weeks, but always seem to be lagging behind developmentally, and then just die. I guess a lot depends on just why they can't get out of the shell. And I think I would continue to help, but only after giving it every opportunity to work its way out by itself, only if it were going to die anyway without help. What has your experience been?

 

[andalusn]

The two that I lost I think I could have been successful with if I had more knowledge at that time. I have been doing more research and found some very helpful websites with information regarding how to assist with leg issues. I have helped two more from my most recent hatches and the chicks from those hatches are normal and can't tell them from the other chicks now. So I guess it really depends on what the issue is. For the chicks that could not really control one leg the tip to place it in a yogurt cup to give support and get it used to bearing its own weight really helped.

 

[shadowpaints]

i have helped several, and had all but 1 live the one that died was REALLY stuck and couldnt move at all after pipping

 

[Trapper Dan]

I haven't had much luck with the day olds that I've been raising for the past few years once they're sick. I've brought them in the house for days on end when they have leg problems, flip over syndrom or have just been picked on my the others. I think that only one of my turkeys fully recovered this year after being sick and none of the chicken that I nursed made it. I lost 4 turkeys out of 31 and 4 Cornish Giant ckickens out of 101. My Sussex cross layers all did well but the meat birds and turkeys are so genetically selected to just grow that they inherently have lots of issues. The saddest thing I've seen this year is when they start to flip backwards and can't orient themselves. How was your success rate this spring?

Cheers

Trapper Dan

 

[Roosterfry]

Seems like only about 1 out of 8 end up being normal. And I'm going on the past 15 incubation batches of eggs I've done in the past two years, I know u have to have a strong stomach and be willing to euthinise a suffering chick, but to me its worth a try for that 1 out of 8. Things you'll need on stand by dry towel to stop bleeding, sugar water with syringe. Warm wet towel to help free it of gunk.

 

[CCourson05]

Out of the two I've helped, two died...

 

[debilorrah]

I think the key is really KNOWING when is the right time to help. I can give you a successful example: A member here had low temps and a peeping egg at day 23. By the end of day of day 23 workking on day 24 the chick was peeping less and less. I encouraged the member to open the egg. The member did and there was blood. Ok put it back. This morning, the member chipped away at the shell little by little and it hatched alive. Tonight it is a fluffy silkie chick with some balance issues, but we all know silkies are slow!!!

A successful help can be done. It has to be the right time and situation.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

I tried to help a few years ago, none that made it done well if they even lived.

Now, I never even try. I set up to 96 eggs every Friday, and anything that is left in the hatcher every Saturday night gets dumped. Period.

I know a lot of people will call me cold hearted, but I don't mean to be. It's just experiance. Anything that isn't going to thrive I don't need on the feed bill.


jmho

 

[debilorrah]

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With those numbers I don't blame you!!! Lower numbers, quality birds, yeah I help. With about a 70% success rate.

 

[CCourson05]

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Oh I can get them out. Its just keeping them alive afterwards. They live for 24-48 hours, then croak.