2 1/2 week old babies, 1 not growing! Please help!

[ChicksR4Me]

I recieved 26 babies from mcmurray hatchery few weeks ago. 2 of the babies died few hours after arrival. It was cold during their shipment and I believe they were smothered by the other chicks. I have one that is just not growing or as active as the others. She does eat and drink, I have electrolites in the water and they are on chick starter. All the other babies are very active and growing fast. But the one looks like it has hardly grown at all and she is not quite as steady on her feet. Is there anything I can do to help her improve? Thanks

 

[ChicksR4Me]

ok... I wanted to add that I have brought her in the house and she's in the brooder box along with another baby (so she wouldn't be lonley). Heat light is on they seem comfortable temp wise. I have water with eletrolites and chick starter. I mashed up an egg yolk from a hard boiled egg an mixed that with some chick starter that I moisened with some water. Please does anyone have any ideas on what would be best to feed her to help. She doesn't have spralled legs or neck problems. Just small and not active as the others. There is a clear difference between the progress of the others and her. I know I remember reading on this forum about others having this same problem but I don't remember what to do for it as it has been a long time. I've read about 20 pages trying to find someone with similar problems and have done a search with really no luck. Please if someone with experience with this type of problem would have any advise it would be much appriciated. Thanks again.

 

[sammi]

switch from electrolytes to chick vitamins..and/or give Poly-vi-sol liquid baby vitamins, Enfamil brand, no iron..give 3 drops on beak once a day for 3-4 days, then taper off for a week..
but try and get some chick vits..McMurrays has them..I think they call it Quik Chick..they also had a product called Gro-Gel for new chicks..

a teeny bit of sugar in the water might perk her up..

describe the droppings in detail..color and consistency..
have you checked the vent for pasting?

what's the temp you're keeping it at..also the others?
proper temp is 95 degrees F. for the first week..then 5 degrees less each week..
no drafts or wet..
a temp gauge in the brooder helps..also the behavior of the chicks.
is she trying to get near the heat light? or is she away from it? is the light placed so she can escape it if she gets too hot?

is she eating and drinking?
maybe she needs the chick feed crushed up smaller..some do..

some chicks are runts..sometimes called stunting syndrome..
with extra TLC some do ok..
some will remain weak..
I'm not saying this is the your chick's problem, just a possibility..
some chicks are slow starters..they need extra TLC.

if giving other foods then feed..keep a check on the crop..might need a little grit..

others might have more suggestions..

 

[Elite Silkies]

Some just fail to thrive. There isn't much you can do. Try the scrambled eggs, they have a lot of protein. You can give Poly Vi-sol (without iron). ACV in their water.

 

[ChicksR4Me]

Thanks for your replies. I have some vitamins (polyvisol, no extra iron) so I can do that right away. I was actually doing that first few days. I can also add some sugar to her water. I believe temps are fine. She doesn't seem to stay too close to the light but also has plenty room to get away from it. I haven't had a thermomiter in there because I usually adjust according to their behavior. I'll get one in there and check out her poo.. I'll take some pictures and come back in a few minutes.. THANKS!!

 

[Elite Silkies]

I have a Silkie chick right now that is doing the same thing. She looks to be about maybe 1.5-2 weeks old and she is actually over a month old now. Her siblings are huge compared to her. She did not feather out properly either. She eats, drinks and poos just fine.

 

[ChicksR4Me]

Quote:
I gave her a few drops of poly-vi-sol even though she protested.

Here is a picture of her..(i hope she's a she)

 

[Elite Silkies]

I grind up the chick starter so that their are no starve outs. You will see a big difference in how much they eat when you grind up their food.

 

[ChicksR4Me]

I knew I had a coffee grinder! I haven't used it for years. Had no idea where it was. But I found it in the cupboard above the fridge. I'm not real tall so I got on a chair. I had no idea how much dust was on my fridgerator! wow! lol I ground up some food and put it in a lid.. I was surprised at how quickly she started eating it. That makes me very happy!! Thank you very much for all your help. I feel better now that I have more information on how to help her. The only thing I worry about now is how long should I keep her seperated from the rest of the babies? I don't want them to not recognize her and beat her up when she comes back.