Abandoned baby chicken. Please help

[EmmaTheCabbage]

Hello! Me and my dad were out walking (there’s loads of wild chickens where I live (Hawaii)) and we found a nest. Lots of broken eggs and several dead fluffy baby chickens. They were all covered in bugs. There was one still alive and making noise. We looked for it’s mum but couldn’t find her. Felt bad so We took her home.
Never kept chickens before. We live in Hawaii and it’s very consistently 80-85f and at night time I put her in the boiler room.

Since I got her (yesterday) she’s been really weak and getting worse. I have her in a box with aspen bedding and a sideways water bowel and we got some baby chicken food. My friend gave me some dia-Earth (don’t remember the full name but apparently it’s supposed to help with mites) sprayed her a couple hours ago and her enclosure with that and there are a lot less mites on her but still a few. How often do I dust her?

What can I do for her? Haven’t seen her eat but she will drink and she doesn’t appear to be able to move her legs. I have to lift her up and put the bowel in front of her to get her to drink. Could the mites have weakened her. Is it something else?

Also I have green tea. Can I try giving that to her? Read somewhere you can do that but don’t know if that’s true or not.

 

[cherrynberry]

Hello! Me and my dad were out walking (there’s loads of wild chickens where I live (Hawaii)) and we found a nest. Lots of broken eggs and several dead fluffy baby chickens. They were all covered in bugs. There was one still alive and making noise. We looked for it’s mum but couldn’t find her. Felt bad so We took her home.
Never kept chickens before. We live in Hawaii and it’s very consistently 80-85f and at night time I put her in the boiler room.

Since I got her (yesterday) she’s been really weak and getting worse. I have her in a box with aspen bedding and a sideways water bowel and we got some baby chicken food. My friend gave me some dia-Earth (don’t remember the full name but apparently it’s supposed to help with mites) sprayed her a couple hours ago and her enclosure with that and there are a lot less mites on her but still a few. How often do I dust her?

What can I do for her? Haven’t seen her eat but she will drink and she doesn’t appear to be able to move her legs. I have to lift her up and put the bowel in front of her to get her to drink. Could the mites have weakened her. Is it something else?

Also I have green tea. Can I try giving that to her? Read somewhere you can do that but don’t know if that’s true or not.

Your friend gave you DE. Diatomaceous Earth. It doesn't work well with infestations and it becomes useless once wet. Permethrin dust works best, but I am not super sure if that can be used on chicks, I would assume so though. Maybe someone could hop in and talk about that more.

She doesn't look too good

Chicks this young need a heat source of some sort and the temperature at the bedding level should be around 90 degrees on one side and cooler on the other side of the box. Do not blame yourself if she doesn't make it. She probably would have died if you left her. If you have some honey, you could give her some honey water or some sugar water.

Also, she only looks 1-2 days old.

 

[EmmaTheCabbage]

Your friend gave you DE. Diatomaceous Earth. It doesn't work well with infestations and it becomes useless once wet. Permethrin dust works best, but I am not super sure if that can be used on chicks, I would assume so though. Maybe someone could hop in and talk about that more.

She doesn't look too good

Chicks this young need a heat source of some sort and the temperature at the bedding level should be around 90 degrees on one side and cooler on the other side of the box. Do not blame yourself if she doesn't make it. She probably would have died if you left her. If you have some honey, you could give her some honey water or some sugar water.

Also, she only looks 1-2 days old.

Hmmm. I’ll have to find something to try warm her up then. I don’t have honey but I do have raw agave syrup. Do you think that would be ok?

 

[cherrynberry]

Hmmm. I’ll have to find something to try warm her up then. I don’t have honey but I do have raw agave syrup. Do you think that would be ok?

Do you have sugar? Sugar water could be good too. I have never used nor do I know what raw agave syrup is, so I do not want to lead you into the wrong direction.

I use a heat lamp.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

She could have been injured by what ever hurt the other chicks and ran the mother hen off or what ever. Try making a very soupy mix of chick feed and sugar water and see if the chick will have some of that. Since she is drinking, maybe she will eat something really soupy. Keep us posted on how she is doing.
There is also a sleeping pad mother hen that you can make. Check the forums and articles for instructions.
Welcome from New Orleans and good luck with your chick.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Aloha from Kauai @EmmaTheCabbage . Your doing great. For heat source you can warm op a washcloth or just any added warmth for an option. Not sure what island you are on but we are reading high 80's on most so just a little warmth. She needs to be in the 90's during the day being we are humid that should be ok.
You have gotten some great advice. The only thing I would add is that I notice when my chicks are that small they need someone to show then how to eat. I tap with my finger on or near the food like a mamma would. Break it down smaller, soften it, what ever it takes. Once she gets it she will be fine from there.
She does look down, do warm her up ♡, keep her out of any drafts.
She has very unusual colorings for our feral. What island you stay?

 

[TropicalBabies]

PS. Id skip the DE for now. And blue agave should be a good replacement for honey

@cherrynberry , you should try some blue agave! It's great on English muffins and croissants

 

[EmmaTheCabbage]

Do you have sugar? Sugar water could be good too. I have never used nor do I know what raw agave syrup is, so I do not want to lead you into the wrong direction.

I use a heat lamp.

I tried making a mix of her water, sugar and food but she didn’t seem interested at the moment :/ she has times where she’s more active than others. We have both a heat lamp and pad but my dads being a butthole saying he won’t waste electricity on a baby chicken. I am measuring the temp of the water closet. If it’s less than 90 maybe I’ll be able to convince him to let me use it.

 

[EmmaTheCabbage]

She could have been injured by what ever hurt the other chicks and ran the mother hen off or what ever. Try making a very soupy mix of chick feed and sugar water and see if the chick will have some of that. Since she is drinking, maybe she will eat something really soupy. Keep us posted on how she is doing.
There is also a sleeping pad mother hen that you can make. Check the forums and articles for instructions.
Welcome from New Orleans and good luck with your chick.

Hmmm maybe. Although I don’t think anything physical happened. When I looked at her and the dead chicks I didn’t notice any trauma (or as much as a novice could notice) and she could walk when I first got her. Maybe the mother just wasn’t around when the babies hatched so they all died? I tried the soupy mix but she didn’t seem interested at eating or drinking at the moment. But will try again in a bit as I think it’s a great idea! Although over the past hour it did get a bit colder. Trying to convince dad to let me use the heat lamp or pad but he’s being difficult. Got her in the boiler room again though at the moment. Thanks again

 

[cherrynberry]

I tried making a mix of her water, sugar and food but she didn’t seem interested at the moment :/ she has times where she’s more active than others. We have both a heat lamp and pad but my dads being a butthole saying he won’t waste electricity on a baby chicken. I am measuring the temp of the water closet. If it’s less than 90 maybe I’ll be able to convince him to let me use it.

You are doing great. I totally understand!! My dad can be like that sometimes too! Which to me, also makes a bit of sense. But when I grow up, I will be able to do what I want.

Anyhow, this might be your sign to get a few chickens! They are amazing birds! I wish you best of luck and I hope things work out!