Help week old assisted hatch chick sad and not growing

Ok so I have a clutch of week old chicks and one is just not happy.

She's not growing, getting bullied, needs more heat than the other chicks, has less appetite (although she does eat some), and cries all the time. Stands with her eyes shut crying. What could be wrong and what can I do for her?

They were a clutch of shipped eggs, and this one was an assisted hatch from a bad position.
Her hatch went very well however. She was perfectly healthy and strong all things considered, and definitely ready to hatch.

Initially she had a habit of rolling over upside down, but after I propped her up for a night this stopped completely and she was perfect.

After a couple of days it became apparent that she required more warmth than the others and was not ready to transfer entirely to the brooder (box with light bulb). Since then she has been swapping between the two ... in the brooder for a while with the others to eat and so on and back to warm up until she complains of loneliness and then back again ... overnight she sleeps in the incubator with one sibling (also an assisted hatch but growing normally) for company.

But today it is obvious she is not growing like the others and they are so vigorous and bouncy she gets jumped all over and cries. I can't put her in with them for more than a few minutes under constant supervision. She cries left alone in the incubator so she's currently under my shirt ... but cries if not constantly stroked and talked to ... only picks at her feed but drinks quite well.

Help!!

I would try putting her away from the group, but add one of the other chicks for company. Being alone will stress her out - I'd pick one of the less hyper chicks to put with him/her for a week or so then try integrating them when she's gained strength...

x2, agreed!

Ok she's in the incubator with just one sibling for company.

I think I've found the source of the problem though: she was in fact constipated ... after inspecting her and her behavior closely I realised she behaved constipated, had a large and firm abdomen, and never pooped in the incubator.

A chick sized enema later she's looking happier and there is now a load of poop in the incubator (Great thanks little one).

So that was an interesting experience. I'm thinking she will catch up now.

So hopefully that may be helpful to someone searching for sad-sack chicks in future!

Wow, that's interesting! I've had to give enemas to newborn lambs before, but I never thought about chicks having a mucous lining that could cause constipation. In newborn animals, constipation is a death sentence and an enema is a life saver.

I'm glad she's doing better!