a video of the chick I am worried about

[tara7815]

I think that it is doing better tonight
but here is the video so you can see what I mean.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v157/tara7815/?action=view&current=VID00052.flv

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

weak legs, I hate that.
feed her egg yolk, make sure that the feed is not wet or moldy, she needs vitamins, baby vitamins work for chickens, but if you don't have any then you need to get her vitamins through food.
Good luck

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Give the baby a wee bit of POLY VI SOL (with OUT iron).
You can find it at Walgreens in the kids vitamin section

Use a smal eye dropper and be VERY careful in dispensing.

Only dispense on the side of the beak and make sure the
baby swallows in between.

Use some Molassis in your waterer.

Do not use electrolytes until the baby has a few
treatments.

NO DO use antibiotics, only medicated chick starter.

The baby actually looks like it is going to be fine, some
just need a little effort to get going.

You can feed the baby egg yolk and yogurt.

 

[tara7815]

I seriously LOVE this community.

Can I ask a stupid question though?
Egg yolk? Raw? or cooked? and how do I feed it to her? Do I seperate her when I do it?

the vitamin drops? How much?

I have some.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

cooked eggs always. The amount of vitamins depends on the wieght of the bird.

ONE drop of vitamins (for a day old or so) is PLENTY.

You can figure it from there.

I use about 6 drops on a medium sized hen.

Use it once per 12 hours or so.

Discontinue after 3 days and watch the bird.

Have water with molasses available 24/7, Just a bit in a pint is plenty.

Keep the little one warm, about 90 degrees in a brooder (at the brooders bottom).

It does not matter what kind of light you use for now.

Most on here like the red heat lamps, but I find them hard to get the correct temp. with.

I use a ceramic heat coil (200 watt at max). It produces NO light and gives the little ones a day/night reference.

If you have a silky bird (seriously) that likes to be a mom, put the chick in with her. They genrally take them right in and really a chicken mom is the best.

I keep two silky birds in the barn and throw them in a rabbit hutch when I get chicks from the other birds.

Right now i have 5 babies in with a silky mom.

 

[kathyinmo]

I don't understand the molasses recomendation ?

Molasses and water is a "flush," and used as in botulism or toxins. It is the equivalent of a human having their stomach pumped. Why would you use this on this chick? Is there something I'm missing?

 

[Guinea Goonie]

A very small amount of molasses (like a few drops) in the little chick waterers keeps the babies from getting pasty butt.

It is important here as you are giving the little one alot of things it generally would not ingest.

If you feel more comfortable with ACV you can give this instead. Apple cider vinager is OK even with day olds. However, I genearll give the molases first for about 5 days then switch over.n Some give both at the same time !!

The molasses just gives the babies a BIG boost. sugar water is not near as good as the molases.

 

[tara7815]

so now I have another one limping <sigh> I'm having the worst luck. This one is obviously hobbling around and has a sore leg - not sure what happened but the others caught wind of it and are pecking at him like crazy - I seperated both of them from the others to give them a break.

 

[fourfeathers]

I'd make them a little mash, too. Just wet some chick starter crumbles slightly and provide with the dry choice. Sometimes they will eat more of a mash and gain more strength. I second the polyvisol without iron, 1 drop a day. Or, may do a drop of vit B complex. If it were mine, I would keep on a towel instead of shavings or wire cage until has more strength.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Quote:
Yes, this helps. I DO put paper towels down OVER the shavings for the first 5 days. This give the babies good footing while still being a soft landing and it gives YOU a chance to see what the poop is looking like.

Managing baby chicks, seperating the weak ones and such are really just a normal process. A mama hen would do the same thing with a weak chick. She would 'wing" it, meaning she would keep the chick close to her.