2week old chick failing to thrive?

Nightwing907

In the Brooder
Apr 8, 2021
5
16
21
Hey guys,
So I’ve raised abandoned chicks before, ones that the hen has pushed out or left behind, including one with a leg injury last year. So when I found my hen had left behind one of her chicks and it had trouble standing/walking (it seemed weak on one side, but it was cold when I found it and it revived in my hand), I assumed with a bit of time things would hopefully come right. And Toby is definitely doing better, but now two weeks old and is just increasingly lagging behind in development ie size, weight and feathers behind his siblings, I brought in another chick last week when it seemed like Toby would live as he was lonely, but now the other chick is just getting bigger and bigger and just starting to get bullyish with him, so will have to sort something.
Sometimes he seems really healthy, just like a normal albeit stumbly healthy chick with good poo, others hes lethargic or flops with loose poo and yesterday he did three bright yellow gooey ones in a row, hasn’t been any more since but know that can’t be good. Wasn’t eating/drinking, I had to take the water out this afternoon as he almost drowned himself in it just before lunch, and now he’s back to healthy Toby walking around eating/drinking. I wonder if this is a fail to thrive thing or something deeper wrong internally or something. Not really sure, thought I might add some high protein dog food or something and see if that helps, or maybe try some more boiled yolks, just not sure. He seems to go so up and down, never had a chick like this, all my other ones, even the one with a leg injury, once they got past that first week were raring to go and he’s still struggling.
 
Sorry to hear that Toby's having a tough time, but he sounds like a fighter. Having been abandoned by the broody, I'd suspect she thought something wasn't normal about him...but that's just speculative, of course, and broodies can also just behave unpredictably.

I think you're on the right track with trying to assist him nutritionally - have you also considered a supplement like Nutri-Drench? It may help if he has some kind of nutritional deficiency.

Hopefully, he'll get over the "hump" and begin to catch up, size-wise, soon. I've had chicks (and ducklings) where that's happened, but I can tell that you know that it's possible that, despite your best efforts, he may remain behind developmentally. I try to stay optimistic until there's good reason not to be. Wishing you and Toby the best. :hugs
 
Mmm my poor father has been regaled with Tobys ups and downs over the last two weeks, he’s been giving me increasingly concerned looks as time has past. Thanks, I’ll try and get off early and see if the vet has any nutridrench tomorrow. I’d never actually heard of it before reading through peoples posts here, not sure how common it is in NZ so hopefully will be the added boost he needs.
On a different note, he’s just had a poo with an orange fleck in it, it doesn’t seem to be blood but a stretchy orange type material thing in an otherwise healthy poo, have never seen it before, is it some kind of lining or something do you think? I feel like one of those paranoid mothers, everything’s a possible symptom🤦🏻‍♀️
Thank you again!
 
The mobile app is being testy and wouldn't let me add to the previous post...if Poultry Nutri-Drench isn't available there, another poultry supplement with vitamins/electrolytes (and probiotics, if possible), like Sav-A-Chick would be an alternative. Both are available here in the states at farm stores and from online retailers. Good luck!!
 
Thanks for the link, yes the poo matches the pictures in the post, orange and stretchy is exactly how I’d characterize it, so shouldn’t be anything to worry about by sounds of it. I might take in a sample of it into vet tomorrow if I can organize the time, otherwise might have to try Saturday morning. And I imagine the vet will have something in stock, whatever the New Zealand equivalent to Nutri-Drench is if it’s different, so will grab whatever they recommend to help Toby, I’m very attached by now so anything that helps:)
Thank you again, this has been super reassuring, being able to talk about all this:)
 
Just thought I’d put an update incase anyone was interested, Toby continued struggling for another two weeks or so, but once he got past that one month barrier he’s been like a different chick. He’s still slightly weaker on one side but it’s near unnoticeable now, and while his feathers/size are still quite far behind his hatch mates, they are getting better everyday. His mother (who I also hand-reared) accepted his brother back under her easily, but still attacks on sight for him, so he’s by himself inside at night and out in a cage during the day, his brother tends to stick close too so he has company. So far so good, and looks like Toby should be all good moving ahead.
Thanks heaps @FoodFreedomNow for your help!
 

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