NurseRah
In the Brooder
- May 8, 2020
- 2
- 1
- 11
Hi there!
I'm super new here, and very new to backyard chickens. We picked up a few laying hens from a friend a few weeks ago, and decided for fun and a learning experience for my kids, we would toss some of the first few eggs we got in an incubator. Out of a clutch 6 eggs, we had two make it to day 21, and only one actually hatched. It took 2 days for it to hatch.
This little hatchling is quite "troubled". It has bumblefeet on both feet, not much body strength (so it struggles to hold itself up) it's scraggly looking, and my biggest concern is its inability to eat/drink. I've been giving a drop from a syringe of electrolytes, but the poor heart struggles to swallow. It tries to stretch it's head back and opens it mouth almost like it's gagging for a good 2-5 minutes. It doesn't much open it's eyes, and it's just a poor sight. It's got a set of lungs on it though, the we thing cheeps super loud.
I just don't know how much effort I should be putting into trying to keep babe alive, if I'm prolonging some sort of suffering.
Any thoughts or suggestions? It's been 30ish hours since it hatched.
I've attached a pic of what it does after it's gotten a drop of fluids, but harder to show without a video.
(I'm an RN.... it's killing me not knowing what to do!!)
Thank you for your time!
❤
I'm super new here, and very new to backyard chickens. We picked up a few laying hens from a friend a few weeks ago, and decided for fun and a learning experience for my kids, we would toss some of the first few eggs we got in an incubator. Out of a clutch 6 eggs, we had two make it to day 21, and only one actually hatched. It took 2 days for it to hatch.
This little hatchling is quite "troubled". It has bumblefeet on both feet, not much body strength (so it struggles to hold itself up) it's scraggly looking, and my biggest concern is its inability to eat/drink. I've been giving a drop from a syringe of electrolytes, but the poor heart struggles to swallow. It tries to stretch it's head back and opens it mouth almost like it's gagging for a good 2-5 minutes. It doesn't much open it's eyes, and it's just a poor sight. It's got a set of lungs on it though, the we thing cheeps super loud.
I just don't know how much effort I should be putting into trying to keep babe alive, if I'm prolonging some sort of suffering.
Any thoughts or suggestions? It's been 30ish hours since it hatched.
I've attached a pic of what it does after it's gotten a drop of fluids, but harder to show without a video.
(I'm an RN.... it's killing me not knowing what to do!!)
Thank you for your time!
❤
