23rd day - URGENT HELP NEEDED PLEASED

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elmwood

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Hi,

One Poland chick hatched on Fri afternoon between 2pm and 6pm. It seems fine, active, chirping etc.

Our broody pekin is still sitting tight on the other 5 eggs this morning. Only one of those eggs shows any signs of hatching, but we think the chick has died. The small 2cm break is dried up and no noise at all. I have picked up the other 4 eggs for inspection and there are no signs of pipping or peeping or anything- no visible fissures.

WHAT DO WE DO! The one and only chick is waiting for mama to help. I have read they can surive on the yolk for up to three days, but surely it needs a drink. As for our broody, as far as we can tell, she hasn't drank anything since 8pm thursday night or moved from the eggs.Last night I gave her some meal worms in front of her beak along with a little corn mix, which she ate, (without moving). I have put water under her beak, and dripped it on her beak to no avail.

We are really worried about this one chick surviving, and whether we should remove the other eggs. If we do remove them will our broody start mothering the chick? We really don't know what the best option is, of course we want the one chick to survive, but if the others are still viable, we don't want to kill them!!!

Am very worried and concerned.......Plus I am sure the chick seems a little weaker this morning.Please please help......Sharron
 
Oh dear. I would ----remove dead chick/egg, give her another 24. Hrs. I'd candle eggs to see if moving or internally pipped.I'd put some shallow water and crumb in with them as its been so hot.They may still hatch,mum will look after chick rather than sit on dead eggs. If she stays sitting and you feel there is no life in eggs then I'd remove them. I think she will actually do what's best. Good luck.Ros
 
Just a thought ---did you count they day you put them in as day 0. IF you counted it as day 1 they will be a day behind? Ros
 
Thanks Ros for your prompt reply. Have just finished reading every single post on this section of the forum.....

The broody started sitting on the eggs friday 21.05 at 7.30. So I reckoned day 21 was Friday 4th june again at 7pm ish..... The first and only chick (so far) arrived that afternoon. So was friday day 21 or sat day 21 and the chick was early?

I have weighted the water with with marbles, and placed a dish of crumbs in there. Will try and remove an egg at a time and candle it??? Will read how to do it first.

Sorry to sound so dumb, but I am so stressed and confused and worried..... the chick could have drowned in my tears last night. thanks Sharron
 
Hi,

Have just candled them- sadly it hasn't helped me really, being my first time. I can clearly see a rather largish air sac in each one and some mass, but can't be sure whether its an embryo or yolk. I have determined the partially hatched one is dead, and have removed it from the nest. Its in a little box ready to bury.....

As for the other 4 eggs I have put them back under our Lavender, and will wait and see what happens if anything...... the one chick is still chirping.

All advice is welcome and needed...... thankyou Sharron
 
Your dates are right according to my pitifully poor maths--its just an easy thing to do!! Having candled one is nt a waste of time--every time you do it all becomes a bit more clear. If you had seen movement you would know its alive. If they have pipped internally you can hear cheeping, you can easily see beak having gone through into the air sac. If it were me , I d give her another day . If still nothing then re candle all eggs before you decide if to chuck them out , you will learn more that way than from anything else. The one thats hatched you can pop in front of mum ,dip its beak carefully in water to show it what to do, if you peck at the crumb with your finger it also teaches chick to eat, BUT I am sure mum will get it eating and drinking when it needs to. All this is just what Id do!!!!! Ros -------PS If you candle eggs and then have to discard them in the end its worth being aware of what they feel like too , dead eggs have a distinct 'feel' a sort of cold/clammy feel due to chick not producing its own heat etc.I know it wont help this time but may in the future.
 
Hi,

Ros- thankyou, have managed to dip chicks beak into the water, as you said, and it took several little drinks!! Yipee..... Also put some crumbs in my hand and mum had some whilst chicks was watching, and then the chick had a go. :D

Now we feel a little brighter and a tad more confident , we've called him/her "Little Pip". Also managed some photos, whilst Little Pip was clambering around mummy Lavender.

Thankyou for all your help and advice, you have certainly re-assured us- will check eggs again tonight and re-candle tomorrow before disgarding. :(

Sharron
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Even if you dont get anymore that one is SO CUTE it will be worth it! Lovely mum too . Let us all know what happens, everything crossed for you!! Ros :D
 
Yes - great advice from Ros - If the chick is out and there is food / water, it should eat and drink when ready.

I used to worry when putting chicks in a brooder with crumbs and water - they just didn't seem to eat for a while - but they can survive (as you say) for a while from the absorbed yolk sack.

In the US, they post boxes of chicks without food or water which takes a day or two...

Good Luck.
 
Hi,

Thanks Tim- Chick is definately drinking and as for eating still not sure. But mum Lavender is now thankfully tucking into the crumbs, but still not showing Little Pip what to do whilst I am watching.

Lavender left the nest yesterday afternoon for the hugest couple of poohs imaginable. We found her on one of our regular inspections sitting behind the brooder, with little pip chirping away. So either the chick had got out first or Lavender and the chick followed?? not really sure. Anyway encouraged them back into the brooder, but it gave us the opportunity to remove the dead eggs.

Suffice to say, 3 were non-fertile and one had a very small embryo inside. Both Mike and I wern't brave enough to crack them, so my teenage son offered to do it. I feel relieved that there were no more viable chicks in those dead eggs......one fully formed dead chicks was enough for me! SO out of six we have a healthy, agile, very cute little poland which theoretically should be going back to the lady who asked for our broody to sit on 4 poland eggs. Think we will have to review matters.....

So its day 24, and hopefully we'll see both mum and chick maybe out of the brooder?

Thanks again for the advice and help. (things are a lot calmer now- I actually slept well last night) ;)
 
Oh VP, thankyou- but sadly mama rejected her one and only chick on day 5- (see separate post).

So its all being a very steep learning curve, and one I am not in any hurry to repeat.......
 
Hi Sharron,

I've been keeping chickens all my life and still they surprise me :shock:

It is certainly nothing you have done wrong. You have clearly been doing your best for your birds and the little chick is a learning experience for you (and me and others reading your posts)... so I'm sure if you hatch again, you will be ready to deal with the possible outcomes and offer help along the way to others that are just starting out and going through the same learning curve as you have gone through.

Mamma may turn into a really good mother next year, or she might not - either way, you can cope with the outcome if you have a heat lamp and a cardboard box to pop the chicks into. Not a huge investment (£15 or so for a heat lamp perhaps) and this way you can ensure success with your chicks.

Good luck and keep your chin up - nature can be really cruel sometimes but when things go well, it is wonderful to see the results....

Tim
 
Ahhhh.... bless you Tim,

Tears welling up again.....

I look forward to the day when I can actually offer some reassuring advice we all seem to receive on this forum. None of my ample books cover half of it.

X
 
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