11 Day old chick not growing and weak

[gallo34]

how are things going today?

 

[new_at_chickens]

She is still hobbling around like a little old man!

She's also still eating and drinking - and well I might add! She is no longer letting the other ones step on her, which I'm happy about.

I didn't want to take her out unless I had to - she really enjoys snuggling up with the others.

I caught her standing up to get a nice long drink yesterday. That was really encouraging. And then I saw her on the other side of the brooder (laying down) pecking at a little speck on the wall, so her curiosity is there too.

I tried the yogurt a few days ago and she wouldn't eat it (nobody would!). Last night I tried the scrambled eggs and I couldn't get her to eat it until I offered it to the others. As soon as she saw them eating it she wanted some!

So overall I'm feeling better about her. Maybe she just is a VERY SLOW grower and a lot weaker than the others. Her feathers are coming in nicely at least.

I really hope she makes it - I've become quite attached to her (even more than the others!).

 

[jrhartingh]

Hi Melissa -

I just joined this forum and am new to chicks as well. I was going to post this EXACT same question when I found yours here.

We have the exact same story...same hatch date, same shipping issues, same hatchery...and one silver laced wyandotte that was (and is) struggling. We feed soy-free organic chick starter. We also put ACV in their water.

Our little girl is 3 weeks now and is about 1/3 the size of the rest of our girls from the same hatch date. It is not just her size that is behind, she looks more like a 1.5 week old in terms of the amount of adult feathers she has. She is still pasty. She does not act weak in that she hustles around the brooder just as much as the others, she eats and drinks on her own (and VERY frequently, at that), and seems to hold her own with the other, bigger chicks.

That being said, her small size and slow development are troubling and I am not sure what to do. Did you try any of the suggestions you got here? Did they seem to work? I was wondering how your bird is doing? Did he/she ever improve?

I hope all is well with your chicks and that your little one has improved.

Thanks!

Jenny in NC

 

[new_at_chickens]

Hi Jenny,

I'm happy to say that my little one has improved dramatically. She is still much smaller than the others, but has started growing, running around, grabbing for treats, and otherwise acting like a normal little chick.

I didn't think that it was a vitamin issue, since my chicks have a vitamin/mineral/electrolyte mix in their water (Quik Chik). But it was puzzling as she was eating and drinking well for me, yet not growing and getting weaker by the day. It was very difficult for her to move around - she shuffled around and couldn't stand up.

I tried feeding her scrambled eggs, but she wouldn't eat them. After racking my brain for a while, I finally tried an organic green grass powder I had in my pantry (I'm quite the health nut!). It has wheat grass, barely grass, oat grass, spirulina, sprouts, and other really powerful superfoods.

I gave her a little of the powder mixed in warm water and was so excited to see her drink a LOT of it. I gave it to her a couple of more times that day and by the next day she was noticeably better (she could walk a few steps at a time). I kept giving her the green drink several times a day and she kept drinking a lot of it. Every day she improved.

For the last couple of days she has been not only standing normally, but she's actually running around the brooder! I stopped giving her the green drink because she no longer wants it.

She is growing and getting some weight on her. She still might end up being the runt, but at least now I'm not worried about losing her.

The product I used for her is pHion Alkalive Green (can be purchased from ph-ion.com). It's also incredibly good for you!

Hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Melissa