Baby chick delay set back?

[H.R. Cluck-N-Stuff]

4 eggs hatched in my barn loft yesterday, and 2 chicks fell down to the barn so I bright the rest down with the mom and her unhatched eggs.

Only 1 more still was hatching, and it took all... damn day. And by 8, it was barely out. Left it with my farm hand and a heat light, since mama no longer was paying attention and came back to a chick who seemed a little too warm in the morning, but none the less, alive.

Cooled it down naturally by the fan, and let it combine to try to come to during the morning. It had seemed lethargic the night before some I'm not sure is the light or the chick but, the feathers never quite fluffed out.

Today at 5, I have a much more active and standing up-ish chick, and she took a little water that I literally put at the tip of a thin syringe ONCE as a bubble.

Is there anything I can give her to perk her up? I have poultry nutri-drench but I can't quite figure out when best to use that or if she's to small. My chick pellet is still very large, and I don't have the instinct to teach her to peck. I normally don't raise checks, the hens do! Help!

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings H.R. Cluck-N-Stuff,

I give an electrolytes and a chick probiotic for the first three days (Save-a-Chick brand is good). But, you can make a home made electrolyte and put it in a chick waterer or a shallow dish. Remember to place some pebbles in the bowl, so the chick won't get wet and chill, or even worse drown.

It needs a feed specifically made for chicks, so it gets all the needed vitamins and minerals. You can grind up some of the chick pellets into a powder for the chick. I also like to offer the chick some moistened chick feed, to help hydrate them.

Make sure there are no drafts where the chick will live. It needs warmth, 95 degrees Fahrenheit. It should have room to move away from the heat if it gets too warm.

It would be good if you could get another chick to raise it with. Better yet, if you have a broody hen that will adopt it that would be good for the chick, and you too.

You will have to keep it safe from hens that may attack it, cats, dogs, snakes, rats...you know the drill.

These are my thoughts, based on my experience in raising chicks. I hope I have been helpful.

God Bless.

 

[H.R. Cluck-N-Stuff]

How do I approach getting a bloody hen to adopt a chick? And I'd really to take one of the other chicks from the momma hen, and those are the only chicks I have right now.

 

[H.R. Cluck-N-Stuff]

Oh! And little chick made it and is starting to walk better on her own. I don't have the ability to go get sav-a-chick for a bit, but would a combination of raw milk yogurt or kefir, scrambled eggs, and poultry nutri-drench help? I have endless amounts of probiotic stuff here at the farm, we do raw milk and I ferment a lot.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

The chick's digestive system is too new yet, for milk products.

Just give fresh water for now, and pulverized chick feed. Don't give layer feed, as it has too much calcium, and can cause health problems in the chick.

If you have a broody hen with chicks of a similar age, you can just tuck the orphan under the mama hen. Some keepers do it during the day, some say do it late at night. I just hatched 10 chicks in the incubator this last weekend. They all were tucked under one of my broody hens (sitting on fake eggs) at different times of the day and night.

The age is important, because the chick will need the hen to keep it warm for at least 5-6 weeks.

Here is a recipe to make your own electrolyte solution.

Electrolytes Solution - (these are U.S. cooking measurements)

1 cup water
2 tsp. Sugar
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Baking Soda

Combine and store in the refridgerator.
Dilute this into one gallon of water. You can pour just some in a shallow bowl for the little chick. Dip the beak into the water, and hopefully it will know to drink on its own.

Use for a couple days or till the chick perks up.

I hope this is helpful.

 

[H.R. Cluck-N-Stuff]

Got chick feed for sure, I had wetted it down. Would crushing it up better be easier? I'll offer both until otherwise noted....

And just curious, as I have a lamp on it for warmth, is that alright?

 

[H.R. Cluck-N-Stuff]

The chick's digestive system is too new yet, for milk products.

Just give fresh water for now, and pulverized chick feed. Don't give layer feed, as it has too much calcium, and can cause health problems in the chick.

If you have a broody hen with chicks of a similar age, you can just tuck the orphan under the mama hen. Some keepers do it during the day, some say do it late at night. I just hatched 10 chicks in the incubator this last weekend. They all were tucked under one of my broody hens (sitting on fake eggs) at different times of the day and night.

The age is important, because the chick will need the hen to keep it warm for at least 5-6 weeks.

Here is a recipe to make your own electrolyte solution.

Electrolytes Solution - (these are U.S. cooking measurements)

1 cup water
2 tsp. Sugar
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Baking Soda

Combine and store in the refridgerator.
Dilute this into one gallon of water. You can pour just some in a shallow bowl for the little chick. Dip the beak into the water, and hopefully it will know to drink on its own.

Use for a couple days or till the chick perks up.

I hope this is helpful.

Very helpful, if not for this chick, for lots of my other chickens suffering from a little heat exhaustion here and there in this Florida weather, or shock. I'm all about doing as much as I can with what's on hand, that wad extremely helpful.

Any advice on how to keep the ants away from the solution, or chick if the chick flops into it a little? Even in my milk room and tact room I have a slight ant problem that will be drawn to sugar

 

[Kiki]

Give it a drop in two on the beak of the Nutri-Drench now and again in a few hours.
Nutri-Drench is better than anything else you can make.
It is made to rapidly absorb and doesn't need to be digested like everything else the chick eats.

 

[Kiki]

Got chick feed for sure, I had wetted it down. Would crushing it up better be easier? I'll offer both until otherwise noted....

And just curious, as I have a lamp on it for warmth, is that alright?

If it is hot outside you may be over heating it with a lamp. Chicks do fine in cooler temps. Over heating causes way more problems.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Yes, many keepers use a lamp. But, be aware that lamps are known for being fire hazards as well. Especially in barns and coops, where there is straw and other flammable bedding. Take proper precautions, secure the lamp well. A fire from a lamp can start, because of a lack of proper ventilation. This causes condensation to form on the bulb, which then causes the bulb to crack, sparks fall down onto the bedding and a fire may start. Wow, nerve racking, right?

I have used a lamp for many years with no problems, just have to make sure the chick can also move away if it gets too warm. Each week the temperature needs to be reduced by 5 degrees. So, if you have a thermometer, that will be helpful.

I have recently learned how to make a heat pad mama. What a great invention! I learned about it, right here on BYC, in an article by Blooie. I am using it as a back up for my little game hen, as, I have 10 chicks tucked under her. The heat pad mama provides another place where chicks can get warm. The heat pad mama is also very safe, and not considered a fire danger.

Here is a link to the thread with instructions.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/brooding-with-mama-heating-pad.67728/

Here is the one I made last weekend.

Also, the chick won't eat or drink much the first two days, as, they are nourished by the yolk, that they absorbed before hatching. The feed should be finely ground. That's it - food, water, warmth, basic chick needs. In 6 to 7 weeks the chick will have feathered out, and will be ready to handle the cold, with proper shelter.

Let us know here at BYC, if you have any other concerns.

You are doing a great job of caring for that chick!

God Bless