Peachicks Not Eating

[TheNewPeahen]

I am really worried about two of my three peachicks. They were born approximately four days ago, and since then, two of the peachicks have not eaten anything. They drink water, but no solid food. The third chick has been eating on it's own since day one, though. I've tried giving them egg yolks, chick starter feed softened and mixed with egg and sugar, softened chick starter feed, watery chick starter feed (to see if they'll eat/drink it since they do drink water). I've tried sprinkling the food from above while making various noises. I've pecked at the food with my fingers, or even swirling my finger in the food. Nothing has worked so far. Earlier, we tried to open their beak and put food in it but we can't do that all the time. I'm just at a loss here. How do I teach them to eat?

A curious thing I've noticed is, when the chick that eats is eating, the other two peck at her beak. I've heard some chicks prefer to eat from their mother's beaks. Could this be the case with my chicks? In which case, how would I simulate that?

 

[TwoCrows]

@CarlisleCluck How is your little one this morning??

I sure hope she is feeling a bit better today.

Ok...here is my mouse trap system....

We have hordes of mice around here, biblical proportions of them and 1 out of 3 of the carry Hanta Virus which WILL kill you. Years back, I got so addicted to hatching Quail and I became so over run with them, LOL, consequently I had to whip up quick aviaries for them. They were very varmint proof however I never could figure out how mice were constantly getting into the aviaries. The disposable type mouse traps are not economical when you are catching hundreds of mice a year and I couldn't leave live traps set and have the quail getting hurt by them, of course poison is not an option. So I had to think of something.

This is a very simple system which requires 2 blocks and one double cinder block, and two mouse traps.

The two flat blocks are approx. 14.5 inches by 6 inches, 3 inches tall. They each way approx 7 pounds?? The double hole cinder block is also approx 14.5 inches long, 6 inches wide and about 9 inches tall?? It weighs 20 pounds maybe?


You are going to chisel a mouse hole on the bottom like so...just big enough for a mouse to get in. Do this on both sides of the cinder block...




Set your mouse traps...ALWAYS bait them. I use peanut butter because it is very aromatic and attracts the mice. they have to work at the trap and it snaps them easily. I switched over from the standard mouse trap to these cheese traps. They are SO much easier to set than the old ones, they have less tendency to go off by themselves or on you as you are setting them and seem catch the mice better. Less chances of catching the mice by the legs or tail, usually kills them as they should fast. Set the release arm on the right side of the "cheese" for the most sensitivity, the left side is for less sensitivity and of course won't go off well. I also rub a bit of peanut butter at the entrance on the flat block, under the mouse hole you chisel just to attract them faster...


Assemble it...place the double hole cinder block over the traps and put the other flat block on top as a lid...




This box is heavy enough that birds can't knock it over, get inside and chicks can't crawl in the hole. Mice follow perimeters, so you will do best if you place it up against the wall close to where you think they are getting in. Mice come into your coop, smell the peanut butter and head straight for it. They go inside but don't come out. I was hoping to have a caught mouse this morning to show you in the box, LOL, but none this morning. I hate killing anything, but mice can't be in the coops. And the dead mice don't go to waste around here, I feed the dead mice to the Ravens. They wait each morning for their mice breakfast. LOL Sometimes you will only catch their legs or feet so be prepared to have to whack the mice over the head with a rock or something. Not a pleasant job, but I don't want them to suffer either. Usually they traps get them at the neck, dead mouse immediately. Check the traps each morning, and reset as needed.

Good luck with this mouse situation!

And keep us posted on your little one too!

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Little Thiamine is lucky to have so many helpers!

I hadn't read this thread before but now that I have I'm wondering if she might be partially/fully blind? Birds who can't see or can't see well often make this kind of jerky or rotating head movement, and it may explain some not eating or drinking if she can't see the food/drink or has a hard time finding it.

 

[CarlisleCluck]

Thanks! - I have all of those meds on hand. She is in with my mostly-blind rooster and some other small chicks and isn't get picked on. Can't seem to find food or water (blind!) but I continue to hand feed her and I do spend some time guiding her around the coop to find the food and water. She eats/drinks pretty well when I feed her. I put her on the roost at night snuggled up to the rooster - sometimes tucking her under his wing if it is cool. He lets one of the chicks sleep on his back.

I am researching "blackhead" so I am familiar with the symptoms.

 

[CarlisleCluck]

Thanks for the "Ovation"! The peachick is doing ok in with the chicks and my blind rooster. I try to feed her 3 times/day. I did stop all the vitamins, but can restart. She is eating mash mixed with scrambled egg still. Should I be worried about that much protein? OH - and should I switch back to the medicated feed for her, since she is in with chickens? I had stopped because it interferred with the absorption of the thiamine, I was told.

Yesterday she at almost all of the food over the course of the day, which was the most yet. Typically she eats less than have the egg/mash mix. I am hoping today will go as well!

Here is a picture of her (not a great picture!) in my lap during feeding time.




Her 2 siblings are going to their new home in about an hour. Mom did really well with them - I hope we aren't all sad!!

This little one just pretty much sits most of the day. I will continue to work with her to get her familiar with her little coop room and her mates. We will see!!

Again, thanks for all the help.

 

[TwoCrows]

Sorry about your baby. When you mentioned "ticks" of the head, I was looking for AE, Avian Encephalyelitis which is a Viral brain swelling common in babies. I had a chick with AE years ago but yours doesn't really have the same motions, (AE causes what looks like they are buzzing or vibrating), so I think you can rule this out. Yours seems to have definite weakness. I am not ruling out some bacterial brain swelling, but it isn't all that common. It almost looks like "Star Gazing" although not so dramatic. What this is is a thiamine deficiency and causes muscle spasms and the head jerks backwards and if its bad enough the chick will look straight up. Either this or wry neck is developing. Vitamins E, all the B's, A and Selenium are needed to treat either of these conditions.

I would get this baby on something like Avian Super Pack... http://www.jefferspet.com/products/avian-super-pack-4oz

Here is a good all around vitamin supplement with Thiamine added... http://www.entirelypets.com/avbirvi...=98313693070&gclid=CIXd8Yy6y80CFZSCfgodoV0Ftg

This is a good supplement with Thiamine added.... http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/sav-a-chick-electrolyte-vitamin-supplement-017-oz-pack-of-3

(I don't like to do long term electrolytes because they do contain a higher than needed amount of salts.)

And it wouldn't hurt to throw in some Selenium too. All the ingredients in the Avian Super Pack are great for Wry or Star Gazing and the Selenium will help the bird process all these things. 50 -100 micrograms a day. Usually these pills come in 250 microgram tablets, so you can quarter one for a 50 mcg dose or half if you want to up it to 100 mcg dose. You can get Selenium at most pharmacy areas with the vitamins.

And I agree with Kathy, I would keep this little one separate and in it's own brooder, raise her yourself.

I sure hope you can heal her soon, she is adorable!!

Keep us posted!!

 

[CarlisleCluck]

I can easily get Save-A-Chick at TSC this afternoon...is that in ADDITION to the Avian Super Pack? And if I do need to order the Avian Super Pack, that will take some period of time to arrive...even if I do the quickest shipping, it won't arrive until this weekend or later, and Monday is a holiday (I checked their website for shipping delivery times to my area). So I am wondering if TSC might have something similar (or if the Save-A-Chick would substitute). Could I just add Thiamine to her diet? (and if so, how much per day?)

I can get the Selenium today, too.

I have her in the brooder. When I fed her around noon, I had mash on a big spoon. If I stuck her beak in the mash, she did scoop it up herself and ate quite a bit, I thought. Of course, I am away for 7 days starting on Monday...so I will need to find someone who can take her and feed her - or hopefully she will be eating on her own, which would be great!!

Curious on the Selenium. If I quarter the pill and crush the quarters, should I just try to get it all in her at once, or does it need to be spaced out over the day?

You all are such a great asset to the "backyard fowl" community! I appreciate your time and knowledge!

 

[CarlisleCluck]

One change as of this morning - she is going in circles. Almost spinning slowly sometimes. Goes in both directions. I am persevering...

 

[casportpony]

I do have Nutridrench and will add - I can add it to the mash, too. She likes the mash and the scrambled egg, so getting the vitamins in isn't an issue. the tough part is working all this "hands-on-time" during the day!! And I leave for a week next week, but I have lined up someone to take her. She isn't getting worse, so that is a plus! Vitamin E too? This chick will have to be named something like Vita-Chick!

I had a couple of chicks with a strange neurological problem, so I gave them both a little E two days in a row and they both got better.

-Kathy

 

[TwoCrows]

I do have Nutridrench and will add - I can add it to the mash, too.  She likes the mash and the scrambled egg, so getting the vitamins in isn't an issue.  the tough part is working all this "hands-on-time" during the day!!  And I leave for a week next week, but I have lined up someone to take her.  She isn't getting worse, so that is a plus!  Vitamin E too?  This chick will have to be named something like Vita-Chick!

I would do the E and Nutri Drench orally instead of in food. If you can, squeeze the contents of an E right into the mouth. As for the Nutri Drench, I would give her about 3 drops onto the mouth as well, 2 or 3 times a day. Alone, Nutri Drench is absorbed into the blood stream from the mouth and throat in a few minutes, where as in food, it has to be run through the intestines, which takes too long. So to get this going quicker, go this route orally. As Kathy mentioned, they will respond fast dosing orally.

And yes you might name her Thiamine or something silly like this. LOL