I got some chicks at tractor supply on Wednesday and I got a couple of runts in my group. One of them I have come to the conclusion, is blind. Her eyes do not appear well developed, they are sunk in, and she just plain ol acts like she cannot see. At first I thought maybe she was dehydrated and stressed from shipping, so I showed her the water, but I h ave not seen her eating and drinking. Last night I took a dropper and fed her a mixture of Kaytee exact baby bird handfeeding formula, mixed with a few drops of nutri-drench, some egg yolk, and a few drops of water. I just decided last night that she was blind, so up until that point, she was with the rest of the chicks in the brooder, but I have her in my Chick ICU (Chick-U?) with two other babies that needed some extra TLC. I am hoping she has perked up a little by the time I get home this afternoon. Does anyone have any suggestions? How often I should feed her? If I absolutely needed to, I could feasibly bring her to work with me. I would like to tube feed her to know that she is getting as much nutrition as she needs, but I have no idea where to get a tube that tiny. I have tubed several chicks before, but they were several weeks old. All the tubes I have are much too large for her tho. I have been doing a lot of reading on old threads where others have successfully raised a blind chick, so I have some hope she could pull through. I wanted to ask so many questions, but most of those threads are super old and I wasn't sure if I should resurrect such an old thread.
I am hoping the mixture I gave her this morning will perk her up a bit (the nutri-drench really perked up one of my others overnight that was having a really hard time). I know the chicks can last a few days on the yolk they absorb from the egg, but at what point is that completely used up and they HAVE to start eating? I am just hoping going 8 hours without anything to eat or drink will be ok for her today.
I am hoping the mixture I gave her this morning will perk her up a bit (the nutri-drench really perked up one of my others overnight that was having a really hard time). I know the chicks can last a few days on the yolk they absorb from the egg, but at what point is that completely used up and they HAVE to start eating? I am just hoping going 8 hours without anything to eat or drink will be ok for her today.