3 week old runt or sick

[chickadee007]

I am new to having chickens. Waiting on my coop to arrive have 12-13 week old sultan and 13-14 week old brahma in one crate together doing great! I have 3 three week old chicks together. One cream legbar pullet and two straight run speckled sussex. The sussex came as a pair. One of the sussex doesn't seem to be growing as much as the other two, although I see it eat all the time. It's slightly smaller than the other two, is often by him/herself. He:she stays under the lamp alot more than the other two. It is 82 degrees under the lamp now. A couple of times I have found him/her laying on its side, thought it was ill so i picked it up and when I put it back down it takes off and goes over to eat. Most of the time its pecking around with the others. I just picked it up to look at it and put it down in thick pine shaving bedding. It couldn't walk, just layed down. I moved him back over to thinner layer an was running around just fine. Anything else I should look for? Is this little one ok?

 

[GitaBooks]

Your chick does look and sound like it is sick. I would lower the heat-light down a little to warm things up a bit. A chicken sleeping laying down tends to be a sign of a healthy chicken, but one sleeping while standing up is usually a sign that they are sick.

Watch for blood in the droppings or loose droppings, lack of appetite, difficult or noisy breathing, dropping wings and hunched up neck. It could have some coccidia or it could just be genetically weaker than the others. Make sure it is getting plenty of nutrition by scrambling some eggs and offering it to them.


I hope it gets strong and healthy. Best of luck!

 

[chickadee007]

Thanks for your comment GitaBooks, I'm not sure what is going on. He's getting a little more heat and I isolated him in a clear tub/bin inside the same big container the other two are in.
Droppings are normal, eating normal, haven't seen him drink - I never see the others drink either, he sleeps laying down on his side and standing up. I put some Bragg ACV in his water, not sure what else to do. One minute he's fine, next minute he's standing there with his eyes closed. Breathing seems normal, chirping as normal. I can tell he misses being with the others, the bin he is in is see-through somewhat, he keeps looking at the others and where they are feeding. I used a small tupperware lid to put his food in. He's eating from it just fine and has also made it his bed.

 

[diana507]

I had 1 chick from day 1 that always slept on its side, especially under the heat lamp. She is 16 weeks now and is the first to go out in the morning and sun bathe on her side all stretched out. It's funny how she has always done this since I have got her. I will see if I can find the pic of her. I also have another one that used to sleep standing up alot. I hope your lil one isn't sick!

 

[diana507]

 

[chickadee007]

He/she didn't make it

 

[diana507]

So sorry for your loss....

 

[GitaBooks]

I'm really sorry.

 

[Luhoo]

I had a chick doing somewhat the same thing, but mine ate, drank water and moved around somewhat although it had a limp. Slept on its side with its legs stretched out.
Finally it's leg started getting better, getting around better, slept under the heat lamp, a few days ago it started breathing a little heavy. Well today it died.

 

[GitaBooks]

I had a chick doing somewhat the same thing, but mine ate, drank water and moved around somewhat although it had a limp. Slept on its side with its legs stretched out.
Finally it's leg started getting better, getting around better, slept under the heat lamp, a few days ago it started breathing a little heavy. Well today it died.

I'm really sorry to hear that. It sounds like you tried your best, but sometimes they just can't get better.