1 chick not acting right...

[chickenlisa]

I bought 4 Polish day old chicks at our county fair on Sunday night...they are about 5 days old now, + a day maybe...3 of them are active and trying out their tiny wings and growing more feathered by the day. The 1 little one is a bit smaller and way less active, not up on its feet at all, didn't flip itself over on the first day or two when it would be on its back, and doesn't try to get out of their little box (its inside a huge brooder box with 5 older chicks...) The 5 older ones and 3 healthy little ones are back and forth all over the big box and I put the 3 wee ones into their smaller box and they escape very quickly out of that and into the big box with the others. The little inactive one just doesn't even try. Is there something I should be doing to help it? I made sure it doesn't have pasty butt (a few of them did, but I got rid of it fast.) When I put it on its back, it lays there waiting for me to flip it over. What can I do? I don't want to lose it...
Lisa

 

[zatsdeb]

sounds like its cold. Thats what McMurray told me when I got some chicks and they would fall over and not be able to get up. They need warmth, and also some electrolites in the water, like sugar.
5 days old they really need heat and to be out of any draft

 

[Bird Hearder]

A little gatoraide from what we were told with our little Peanut. also mix some water with the food to make a mush, They Love that.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

For the first week the brooder temp should be 95 degrees. You can decrease it by 5 degrees each week.

Don't use sugar water for more than a day-it can cause dirrahea. There are products in the stores you can get. Also try some ACV (apple cider vinager)-unfiltered so it has the mother.

Some chicks just fail to survive and there is nothing you can do about those.

I sure hope those chicks don't have anything contagious. You should quarentine new birds for at least 30 days.

Good luck!