Hand feeding or putting it down?

Hi All,

One of my new hatches isn't doing to well. I've let nature run its course a couple of times before with chics who aren't doing well. You know, survival of the fittest; but I was wondering what if anything can you do to help a chic that is just really weak and lethargic after hatching. What is your success rate?

Do you try and put them out of their misery? I don't like to watch any animal suffer really.

Just looking for thoughts and ideas.

Thanks!

I'd give him a mash of boiled egg, yogurt (plain), chick starter and a little bit of water with sugar/honey. If he won't eat by himself then I'd try force feeding.
http://beautyofbirds.com/handfeedingmethods.html
Also make sure he's hydrated.

My little buff orpington was one that needed extra help. This was a sticky chick and I had to help it hatch after waitin 24 hours with no progress. The chick just had glue like junk plastered to it, and I had to really really REALLY work with it and invested a lot of time and effort to get it right. I have it several baths and blow drying during the first two weeks of it's life. She would just stand with her eyes closed and cry for the first 5 days. In that time, I force fed it mashed chick start with yogurt, and syringe gave water. She had absolutely no interest in food, water, or life. After day 5, she finally started showing interest in food. I kept her in the incubator for those first two weeks of life, because she would shiver in the broody an get run over by the other chicks. I kept her, because I couldn't sell a runty, sick chick, and I am so glad I did. She is the sweetest, friendly chick ever. She is beautiful now at 14 weeks. She is in a small coop by the bigger girls, and has supervised visitation with them, and is the happiest, most lovable, most HUNGRY chicken ever! I will from now on try to get a chick through hardship if they are willing to hang on.

Thanks both of you for your suggestions. Unfortunately, the little guy was already to weak when I went to intervene. The little guy died in my hands. :-(

I'm so sorry.

I'm sorry to hear that. Sometimes no matter what you do, if it's their time, they leave us. You reaching out shows you cared.

So sorry!