[jobson336]

hi all,
im really enjoying watching all the chicks hatch in the incubator, its getting a bit crowded in there now, im worried about taking the fluffy ones out as some of the other eggs are pipping, the first was hatched yest at 09.30 so has been in there 24 hours the others have hatched through yest at different times.
they are clambering all over the other eggs and eachother.
one of the chicks hatched and seemed fine, its now fluffy but doesnt appear to be able to stand, its just sat on its bum trying to stand but cant right itself, im sure it was ok before, could it have hurt its leggs clambering over all the others? is it splayed legs? if it is can i do anything or will it need to be put out of its misery? 

[Casey76]

Splay or spraddle leg can easily (in most cases) be corrected in a few days if correction is attempted early.

See here

http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html

(photos are of an extreme spraddle!)

[jobson336]

thanks for the info, very useful and ingenious idea!
unfortunetly when i took the chick out of the incubator to have a closer look it was actually deformed, it had what looked like 2 bums! very strange!

[Pretty Chick]

Poor little thing

Are you going to do the deed or let it live it's life?

[GrannieAnnie]

2 bums?  was one a bit yellow looking?  Could it be the yolk sac, which someone said can take a couple of days to be absorbed inside the chick.

Saying that I had one with a yolk sac in my last batch, I had to separate her because the others were pecking it, but a couple of days later, all her 'bits' came out, so I had to cull her! (or him!) 

[jobson336]

i had to do the deed unfortunetly  , i didnt want to see it suffer, it looked really ditressed as couldnt stand and was spinning around on its bum or bums. it wasnt a nice thing to do but i guess its part of the process so learning curve for me as 1st hatch.
im pleased though as out of 20 eggs 16 have hatched with just that one casualty so far and the remaining 4 eggs may still hatch yet although they have had a battering from the others! :blink: