[bricktop]

Hi, I'm looking for a bit of advice please. I have exactly Chicken 6 chicks hatched on 23/12/12.
3 have been recently seperated out as they were clearly smaller than the rest but seemed wobbily on their feet and would get trampled on by the other 3 bigger birds.
The 3 smaller chicks that are seperated out all seem to have lost their balance and look doomed, if they are upright they walk as would a drunk. I havent seen this before and I fear I may need to knock them on the head very soon.
The others seperated but in the same rearing cage are fine.
Any ideas, thoughts, advice very welcome
Mick
 
 

[bigchicken]

I bough some eggs last year and after hatching a similar thing happened to some of the chicks an experienced poultry person said that the eggs had probably been washed or dirty and the chicks had egg sack infection. I'm sure someone else will have a better answer cheers.

[chrismahon]

I assume you have non-slip flooring Bigchicken and the temperature is correct. Sounds initially like a vitamin deficiency in the parents which I thought would correct when the chicks eat. Infection would have resulted in 'dead-in-shell'. Very late in the year for hatching and fertility is usually very low. The parents would certainly be not in best condition. If the condition gets worse it must be an illness, possibly Mareks?

[Marches Farmer]

Poor growth and feathering often due to breeding birds being fed inadequate ration.  Lots of folk feed corn + scraps and still expect top class performance.