mopey chick - 911

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LizaBlue

LizaBlue

Songster
9 Years
Oct 26, 2010
234
5
103
Wee Acres
April 12 we got 16 chicks, Austrolorps and Barred Rocks, which we kept in 2 plastic tubs in our bathroom with a heat lamp suspended on a rod above them. We give the chicks starter feed, very little chick grit, and have taken them outside about a half dozen times. As treats we have given them crane flies, mealworms, washed earthworms, and wheat toast. They are a pretty rowdy bunch, trying to fly every chance they get and jumping up on everything and everyone. The other night we had to move them to an old tent in our garage (found out our coop delivery will prolly be delayed another week
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) and it has confirmed my suspicions that we have a mopey chick. One of the barred pullets sits off by herself in a cold dark corner and is not easily roused, even when all the rest of the chicks are running frenetically around playing keep away with the latest treat. Any ideas?
 
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I have a similar situation! 3 of my chicks (a buff orp, a barred rock, and a goldlaced wyandotte all about 2.5 weeks old) are active and having fun. My blue cochin chick (who is a week younger) is usually laying by herself. When she is up she toddles around slowly and with seemingly no purpose. I'm worried about her. Can't tell if she is sick or blind or just young???
 
Yesterday took chicks outside one by one, and I think "Mopey" is smaller than the rest. This makes about 4 days since I noticed her particular habits and I'm getting really worried. She puts up a fuss when you first pick her up, but then just seems resigned to her fate, or more interested in shut-eye. I put her in a cat crate lined with paper towels so I can see if she is going to the bathroom. She also has her own food and water. I tried to give her a mealworm but she wasn't interested and only barely tried to shy away. I put the crate in the tent with the rest of the chicks because they freak out so much when seperated - at least she can see and hear them and she won't get run over.

Hate to start a new thread, but I will if I can't get help on this one...
 
I've offered her chick starter (medicated) mixed with warm water, once with a drop of honey in it, twice today. I started by pulling her out and letting her taste it then putting her and the dish back in the brooder with the other 3 big strong chicks. The second time today she actually pushed the others a bit. Gave me hope. I just read a thread about small chicks needing the crumble ground up even more. I'm going to smash some up and mix it in with the regular food and see if that helps her at all. I tried seperating her and it just seemed so stressful! She's a week younger then the other 3 so I'm hoping she just seems weaker because she is younger...
Keep me posted on how yours is doing
 
Mopey does poop, eat, and since I forced her some water with Sonic's syrup in it (no sugar at our house) she drinks. She falls asleep doing it, but she does it. She also ate a crane fly for hubbie (eventually, after he left) and showed a little interest in the cat food strips on my finger. She falls asleep doing it, but she does it. Unfortunately, we've also discovered she sneezes and snores/wheezes in her sleep.
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Thinking brooder pneumonia? gonna check around on the forum, but thought I would update.

Tip if you ever have to force water with a syringe: holding baby gently against you wrapped in a washcloth, lean its head to the side with thumb so that beak lays against your fingers. gently press syringe against bottom beak and they kinda just naturally open, or just let a drop fall on the side of closed beak and they will just open and then you can squirt a little more in. Reminded me of how you give eye drops to kids - you can't force them to open their eyes for the dropper, but put drops on their closed eyes and they will open eventually!
 

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