I have just hatched my first batch of eggs, with a pretty terrible hatch rate but better than expected (incubator fan motor blew and I thought I'd roasted them all, among other mishaps) so I now have three little chicks, cute as can be.
The eggs went into the incubator around 2pm on a Friday. The first bub hatched perfectly at 3pm on the Friday they were due. After a tense 18 hours the next hatched the following day; we were out but got home whilst it was still wet and all looked fine.
Then late the following night, about 52 hours after the first hatch, a gorgeous little bub fought their way into the world. It was hard work, traumatic to watch as they eventually burst out backwards, and then they really seemed to struggle to get up or balance. They kept ending up on their back, so I put them into a container with paper towel to stay upright (back in the incubator) and prayed we'd still have a live bub in the morning. There was no assistance for the birth.
This morning they're still alive, but have a nasty wry neck, and the outer and middle toes on each foot are fused together like the webbing should have split but hasn't. I'm trying to feed avian multivitamin and they're taking a bit of that, but not taking food yet. I'm semi-comfortable trying to address the wry neck, but scared ill have to cut the toe webbing. I don't mind the blood squick factor, but I don't want to cause the sweet baby pain!
Any ideas or suggestions? Other than obviously not breeding from this chick, which was never in the plans anyway.
The eggs went into the incubator around 2pm on a Friday. The first bub hatched perfectly at 3pm on the Friday they were due. After a tense 18 hours the next hatched the following day; we were out but got home whilst it was still wet and all looked fine.
Then late the following night, about 52 hours after the first hatch, a gorgeous little bub fought their way into the world. It was hard work, traumatic to watch as they eventually burst out backwards, and then they really seemed to struggle to get up or balance. They kept ending up on their back, so I put them into a container with paper towel to stay upright (back in the incubator) and prayed we'd still have a live bub in the morning. There was no assistance for the birth.
This morning they're still alive, but have a nasty wry neck, and the outer and middle toes on each foot are fused together like the webbing should have split but hasn't. I'm trying to feed avian multivitamin and they're taking a bit of that, but not taking food yet. I'm semi-comfortable trying to address the wry neck, but scared ill have to cut the toe webbing. I don't mind the blood squick factor, but I don't want to cause the sweet baby pain!
Any ideas or suggestions? Other than obviously not breeding from this chick, which was never in the plans anyway.
