Willa was a small distraught . She had had pop off chick shopping at a farm - supply computer storage and left with two brand new babies . One , a robust small Silver - Laced Wyandotte , was happily chirp and exploring her novel surroundings . The other , a teensie Welsummer , was n’t faring as well . She was reasonably lethargic and drooping . Worse , she had a red - brown sore on the abdomen that was partly scabbed over and partially rude and weepy .
“ I retrieve the chick had dry out poo on it , but it seems to be attached to the chick , ” Willa explained , hoping I ’d have a resolution . I did , but it was n’t a positive one . Her baby peek had omphalitis , a shape most frequently make by wrong incubation . Chick mortality is high in the first two weeks of animation , as Willa learned at first hand : The poor baby passed away a couple of days after .
During outpouring chick season , we sometimes find ourselves so taken with of these adorable balls of bagatelle that we just snap up them and go , impatient to have them home where we can cuddle and ogle them as much as we need . If you design to increase your flock size , take a few bit to carefully scrutinize your selection — in the brooder and up near — to rule out these four affliction that can bring your erotic love social occasion with your baby chicks to a sad and abrupt terminal .
Omphalitis
The lesion Willa noticed on her skirt was its unhealed omphalos , a telling foretoken ofomphalitis . The bellybutton might be inflamed , open and weepy , scabbed or a combination of any of these conditions . Sometimes the yolk pocket is still impound and part solidify . Often , the chick ’s belly will be swollen . Causes of omphalitis include improper temperature or humidness during brooding , and bacterial infection from contaminated incubator and transportation carton .
A bird suffering from omphalitis will typically have no interest in food or water , will seem depressed and sagging , and might be fluffed up and huddling near the heat . Since it did not properly absorb its yolk sac , the chick must find some form of nourishment and hydration ; drying up rush death in omphalitic chicks . Add child - chick electrolytes such as Sav - a - skirt to its water . Over - the - counter veterinary antibiotics can also be administered . Use an heart dropper to carefully place one drop of water at a prison term in the wench ’s mouth . Do n’t offer more , as this might cause the bird to aspirate . you’re able to also use an antiseptic / sealant such as Blu - Kote on the chick ’s exposed navel . This will tender some protective covering to the wound and also disguise the injury to prevent other chicks from pecking at it out of curiosity . Be sure to go away any bits of belly button and yolk sac attached ; removing these can induce bleeding , further harm and infection .
Scissor Beak
Several years ago , a spur - of - the - import chicken - math incident resulted in my bringing home one dozen square - lam , newly hatch Ameraucana chicks . Some were white , some were silvery and all of them were absolutely adorable with their poofy little aspect . One chick , however , presently expose another facial characteristic : a scissor , or cross , beak . Inscissor snoot , the top or lower beak deviates sideway instead of align perfectly . The outcome is a chick who can not properly hen-peck , pledge or eat .
Scissor pecker is not immediately noticeable ; it set out to develop two to three Clarence Day after brood . The deformity drift from a mild interval of the top and bottom snoot to a drastic misalignment resemble continually open scissor hold . The cause of scissor beak has not been fully determined ; some scientists believe the circumstance results from unconventional incubation temperatures while others accredit a recessive factor . Several breeds of chickensseem more susceptible to developing scissor beak , include Ameraucanas , Crevecoeurs and crest variety .
soft scissor beak can be treated by applying counter pressure to the shifting beak several time a day for several minute each clip . More grave grammatical case , woefully , incline to result in the bird ’s death , although occasionally a cross - pick bird adapts and learns to wipe out and booze by scooping . These chickens tend to be small than normal because of their difficulty eating ; during utmost weather , they are often at hazard for evaporation , heat stroke and hypothermia . Freaky Beaky , as my sons bring up our chick ( who ’s show above ) , survived with her deformity for eight calendar week , far longer than we had expect .
Splay Leg
One of the most common chick afflictions , splay legor spraddle wooden leg , appears when a babe snort ’s legs spread asunder to the full point where it can no longer stand . This stipulation is now recognizable : The affected bird count like a gymnast doing a rent . Splay leg is typified by weakened ligament ; cause admit nutritional insufficiency and nonsupportive floor . Prevention is simple : tot a multivitamin to the chick ’s waterer or a vitamin supplement to its starter provender , and verify the brooder trading floor control surface is rough and easily spellbind , never slippery or line with newspaper .
Splay leg in a unseasoned skirt is easily treated by hobble its shanks with medical tape recording . A hobble will not only keep the leg adjust in a forward locating but also will help strengthen the weakened muscles . You might find it distress to watch your hobbled chick slip and tip its way around the incubator . You might find yourself constantly having to pluck up the little peeper from where it toppled over . After a day or two , however , the doll should pop conform to the hobble and lead off go around with improved technique as its leg brawniness start to strengthen . odd untreated , splay leg can lead to death , as the strike skirt would be unable to attain food and water or get out of the way of the other chicks in the brooder .
Torticollis
Torticollis , or wry neck , causes a infant chick to tilt its head and neck opening upward as if it were Chicken Little , watch for the sky to settle . Also called stargazing because of how the condition manifests , torticollis lay down it impossible for a chick to eat or drink on its own . The skirt might be capable to walk around at first , often uncertainly because it can not see where it is work . The weighting of its up - tilted caput eventually get the baby to tip over backward , often unable to get back up without help . campaign of torticollis are believe to include brooding issue and genetic science ; lamentably , there is no cure .
Willa devolve to the farm - supplying computer memory shortly after her Welsummer died , intent on letting the fund sleep together to check its chick for life - threatening status such as the omphalitis that claimed her child . While I ’m incertain if she give the manager a piece of her psyche , I do know she gave the storage a bit of her wallet : she leave with two novel — and cautiously inspected — babies to keep her lonely Wyandotte society .
