What is wrong with this girl? :(

[RottenFlower]

So I picked up my 3 day old chicks, and a friends chicks, today from a local hatchery. I picked up 6 Cuckoo Marans and 1 Buff Brahma (and will pick up 2 Ameraucanas in two weeks).

Six of the chicks are very active and spunky and everything I imagine chicks should be; however, one of the Marans (who I've named Muffin) isn't doing so hot. She's significantly smaller than the other birds, but is supposed to be the same age. She has been getting progressively lethargic, but I've seen her drink water and poop (normal, no pasty butt). I finally gave her some electrolyte/probiotic solution by syringe, to no avail. In an act of sheer desperation, I gave her a little bit of Karo syrup and isolated her to a large dog crate with heat, food & water.

She is SCREAMING bloody murder and is now fighting me when I go to pick her up since the Karo syrup. I don't think this is the end of the road for her just yet, but I think our road will be long and bumpy.

Any thoughts on what could be going on with Miss Muffin, or any suggestions on what I can look for or do to help her feel better?

 

[3riverschick]

So I picked up my 3 day old chicks, and a friends chicks, today from a local hatchery. I picked up 6 Cuckoo Marans and 1 Buff Brahma (and will pick up 2 Ameraucanas in two weeks).

Six of the chicks are very active and spunky and everything I imagine chicks should be; however, one of the Marans (who I've named Muffin) isn't doing so hot. She's significantly smaller than the other birds, but is supposed to be the same age. She has been getting progressively lethargic, but I've seen her drink water and poop (normal, no pasty butt). I finally gave her some electrolyte/probiotic solution by syringe, to no avail. In an act of sheer desperation, I gave her a little bit of Karo syrup and isolated her to a large dog crate with heat, food & water.

She is SCREAMING bloody murder and is now fighting me when I go to pick her up since the Karo syrup. I don't think this is the end of the road for her just yet, but I think our road will be long and bumpy.

Any thoughts on what could be going on with Miss Muffin, or any suggestions on what I can look for or do to help her feel better?

Hi RF,
She may be suffering from travel stress. It doesn't always effect all the chicks. When that happens one of the first things is their G.I. tract becomes compromised and they can't effectively uptake the helps you are giving them. I use Poultry Nutri-Drench on all my chicks. It is a emergency nutritional supplement which doesn't need digesting. It mainlines directly into the bloodstream with 50% uptake in 15 minutes and 99% uptake in 30 minutes. Other helps need to be digested which can take as long as 3 hours. Have used these Bovidr Labs supplements on my collies and poultry for over a decade. Great stuff! Bovidr Labs makes formulas for many species but the species-specific formulas also meet the scientific guidelines for a universal donor. So if Tractor Supply or your local feed store is out of Poultry Nutri-Drench, you can also use Pet Nutri-Drops with the same usage and dosage info as Poultry Nutri-Drench given to me by their science techs and explained in post number one of the BYC thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/746509/how-to-deal-with-travel-stress-in-baby-chicks
The 4 oz. bottle ( 7.-10.) should be plenty for your needs.
Best Regards,
Karen and the Light Sussex
in western PA, USA

 

[RottenFlower]

Hi RF,
She may be suffering from travel stress. It doesn't always effect all the chicks. When that happens one of the first things is their G.I. tract becomes compromised and they can't effectively uptake the helps you are giving them. I use Poultry Nutri-Drench on all my chicks. It is a emergency nutritional supplement which doesn't need digesting. It mainlines directly into the bloodstream with 50% uptake in 15 minutes and 99% uptake in 30 minutes. Other helps need to be digested which can take as long as 3 hours. Have used these Bovidr Labs supplements on my collies and poultry for over a decade. Great stuff! Bovidr Labs makes formulas for many species but the species-specific formulas also meet the scientific guidelines for a universal donor. So if Tractor Supply or your local feed store is out of Poultry Nutri-Drench, you can also use Pet Nutri-Drops with the same usage and dosage info as Poultry Nutri-Drench given to me by their science techs and explained in post number one of the BYC thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/746509/how-to-deal-with-travel-stress-in-baby-chicks
The 4 oz. bottle ( 7.-10.) should be plenty for your needs.
Best Regards,
Karen and the Light Sussex
in western PA, USA

Thank you for this information 3RC. I just checked availability at TSC, and they have it... so first thing in the morning, I am headed out that way to pick some up.

In the mean time, how much should I be syringing her (of the SavAChick electrolyte/probiotic solution & Karo) and how often? I don't mind staying up with her if I need to, but OTOH, I don't want to stress her out by handling her too frequently. She is still very fussy by herself, but she's also still very, very weak and hasn't shown any interest in eating on her own.

 

[3riverschick]

Thank you for this information 3RC. I just checked availability at TSC, and they have it... so first thing in the morning, I am headed out that way to pick some up.

In the mean time, how much should I be syringing her (of the SavAChick electrolyte/probiotic solution & Karo) and how often? I don't mind staying up with her if I need to, but OTOH, I don't want to stress her out by handling her too frequently. She is still very fussy by herself, but she's also still very, very weak and hasn't shown any interest in eating on her own.

I do not know, RF. I don't use this product. Let me look around.
I found this webpage with some advice but not how much "per chick".
http://www.mypetchicken.com/backyar...-give-my-shipped-chicks-vitamins-and-H70.aspx
Oh, this is a *very* interesting 2 page BYC thread on the topic of
different kinds of electrolyte solutions and how to use them. I learned a lot from it.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/489407/electrolytes-its-what-chickens-crave
Still never found out how much to give a single chick, sorry!
Best,
Karen

 

[RottenFlower]

I do not know, RF. I don't use this product. Let me look around.
I found this webpage with some advice but not how much "per chick".
http://www.mypetchicken.com/backyar...-give-my-shipped-chicks-vitamins-and-H70.aspx
Oh, this is a *very* interesting 2 page BYC thread on the topic of
different kinds of electrolyte solutions and how to use them. I learned a lot from it.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/489407/electrolytes-its-what-chickens-crave
Still never found out how much to give a single chick, sorry!
Best,
Karen

Thanks for the info Karen.

I went this morning and got Muffin the Nutri-Drench, but it's not working. She's barely hanging on and I feel terrible. She went from okay to bad to worse to okay and now awful again.

What a roller coaster.

 

[3riverschick]

Oh no, RF,
All you can do is what you can do. Some chicks fail to thrive. Be there for her and we will both hope
she gets back on track for the both of you. No pasty butt? Is she peeing and pooping regularly?
Best,
Karen