Lethargic tiny chick, seemingly no other symptoms

[steenie]

Hi all,

So my parents (I am 24 y/o) bought chicks at our local store (very trustworthy, great store), and one of them, who was the oldest of the bunch we got (the others were smaller than her) have all outgrown her and she just has not grown. She is about 3 weeks old now and has grown slightly, but is about half the size of her siblings. We brought her to the store we got her from and showed them her to ask what she is (possibly bantam pekin? she was originally supposed to be a regular sized cochin) and they said she looked healthy but is just naturally small, maybe genetics or something so that fit my hypothesis of her being a pekin. We did some research and learned that pekins are not cold hardy (the batch of chicks is intended to go to our outdoor coop with chickens who are free range) so I decided to keep her as my house chicken when I go to medical school this August (I will have an indoor hutch, and outdoor hutch on my balcony) and I even got a silkie chick to keep her company. HOWEVER, the one thing that is not sitting right is that she has always been lethargic, I thought maybe the regular sized chicks were pushing her around, maybe she is a runt... so I put her & the silkie in their own tank and I add nutridrench to their water, I pipette nutridrench to her (one drop/day), I even pipette fed her egg yolk & plain greek yogurt for a few days, now I give them cooked scrambled egg on top of grit, chick starter with 16% protein, worms, and crickets, water is changed daily minimum and tank bedding (pine shavings) is changed every other day, heater is kept on one side temp is at 90 Fahrenheit. She eats, drinks, and poops fine, she is just very inactive, seems to fatigue easily, and even the tiny silkie chick (less than one week one old, half her size) is able to push her around and just seems so much more energetic. I am hoping that she perks up eventually... I am even ok with it if she is just a dopey chick, as long as she is healthy & happy.

My main concern is a fatal defect/heart problem.

She has no other visual abnormalities (regular poop, no nasal issues, no gasping) but just seems very lethargic and fragile, her legs/feet seem very tiny and delicate, even compared to the silkie, and her eyes mostly seem half open, not nice & round like the other chicks. She also seems like she always wants to sleep/cuddle.

Please advise! Thanks in advance.

Attaching pics for reference


Eyes half open:

Comparison next to an ameraucana & lavender orpington chicks, similar age

Next to lavender orpington chick (i think the orpington here is a rooster but still, major size difference):

Her with the silkie (silkie is much younger):

Thank you!


~Steenie, Buttercup, Thumbelina & the rest of the gang

 

[steenie]

Hi all, just an update. I started treating with Corid in the water and have been making sure she drinks a little bit by dipping her beak every half hour since 3pm then now every hour except overnight. She is already perking up with her eyes more open, her movements more rapid and she just seems overall more lively. Not as much as her playmate but it's only day one. Thank you all so much prognosis is hopeful overall!!!

 

[steenie]

Hi guys, so here is how treatment has been going so far:

Day 1: lots of improvement
Day 2: went backwards A LOT, thought she was going to pass to be honest, but she was very very sleepy the whole day
Day 3: She got better again, not as energetic as day one but 7/10 in terms of being "like a chicken" (energetic, preening, eating) we started also giving her honey water in addition to Corid water.
Day 4: (today) she is still holding up. She is stretching a lot, drinking on her own, eating, chirping louder

Plan:
Day 5: (tomorrow) will be day 5 of Corid treatment so we will stop treatment after tomorrow and go back to nutridrench water and add honey.

Overall she is doing much better, but not 100%. Hopefully she will continue to perk up and grow

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

I would go ahead and get another. That way, if this one does not make it, the silkie you have now will have a friend.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Hi guys, so here is how treatment has been going so far:

Day 1: lots of improvement
Day 2: went backwards A LOT, thought she was going to pass to be honest, but she was very very sleepy the whole day
Day 3: She got better again, not as energetic as day one but 7/10 in terms of being "like a chicken" (energetic, preening, eating) we started also giving her honey water in addition to Corid water.
Day 4: (today) she is still holding up. She is stretching a lot, drinking on her own, eating, chirping louder

Plan:
Day 5: (tomorrow) will be day 5 of Corid treatment so we will stop treatment after tomorrow and go back to nutridrench water and add honey.

Overall she is doing much better, but not 100%. Hopefully she will continue to perk up and grow

Glad to hear you're seeing some improvement!

 

[steenie]

Before you give up on her, try the poly-vi sol infant vitamins, one or two drops a day on her beak and a scrambled egg a day. If she has been on medicated feed, she may have a vitamin deficiency.

Just ordered it on amazon (it wasn't at my local stores, I checked earlier today). I figured that since we stopped the vitamin water to avoid counteracting the corid. Overall I'm still hopeful just like c'mon when can I expect some growth/full energy. My little silkie is just about her size already and twice as energetic. I've also been debating adding a second silkie.. just hesitant because these will be with me in med school and I feel like three is a crowd lol... I'm also nervous that the two silkies will leave her in the dust, but if she is going to pass I would like to add the silkie sooner than later because I want them to be about the same age. Anyways thanks for all your help, and I won't give up on her just trying to inform my "adding another silkie" decision. Thank you again ))))

 

[janiedoe]

Just ordered it on amazon (it wasn't at my local stores, I checked earlier today). I figured that since we stopped the vitamin water to avoid counteracting the corid. Overall I'm still hopeful just like c'mon when can I expect some growth/full energy. My little silkie is just about her size already and twice as energetic. I've also been debating adding a second silkie.. just hesitant because these will be with me in med school and I feel like three is a crowd lol... I'm also nervous that the two silkies will leave her in the dust, but if she is going to pass I would like to add the silkie sooner than later because I want them to be about the same age. Anyways thanks for all your help, and I won't give up on her just trying to inform my "adding another silkie" decision. Thank you again ))))

I'd get another anyway. Two friends are always better than one.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

I agree! Go for it! Three's not a crowd at all! And I think you're right that it would be harder to add another bird the older the first one gets, the age / size gap gets bigger, and also harder emotionally to have to do it later if your little wee one doesn't make it.

First we got our five Australorps, but I knew I wanted more birds, so luckily I was able to convince DH to just got for it as well and promptly place an order for a second small batch. They are just 15 days apart! The size difference is still something we are working out a bit in the brooder, as I've started letting them spend some time mingling now each day, but I think it should be easier for you if it's just two or three birds with sweet dispositions, rather than a whole flock dynamic to work out.

 

[steenie]

Thanks guys... she is perked up still but most likely will end up getting another one at the end of the work week

 

[steenie]

Got my 3rd chick Snow White (a silkie). Feeling relieved now because now whether or not Buttercup pulls through (Still supplementing her with vitamins) Thumbelina will still have a friend. Just gonna keep treating her and enjoy my chicks, definitely feel like I can relax now though. Thanks for all the help