Baby maran just not 'thriving'

[canesisters]

Cracko and Lido - LOVE THOSE!

 

[canesisters]

Just wanted to put in a little update.

Hurra was the BCM that was in with little Sugar, she was also not growing well and was at the bottom of the pecking order and was getting treated pretty brutally by the bigger chicks.
Well, they moved out to the coop a couple of week ends ago and I had to put a piece of fence wire down the middle of the shed to keep the 3 big girls (EE & 2 SLW) from hurting the 3 little ones (BCM & 2 S.Sussex).
The 3 little ones were doing great, growing and getting more confident without the constant abuse.
This past weekend I pulled back part of the wire and let them move back and froth over the whole coop. I stayed nearby keeping an eye and an ear out for trouble. Things seemed to be going well so I went off to do some mowing. When I got done, I gathered up a big handfull of the clippings and carried them to the girls. I didn't want to push their luck by dropping treats into the 'fragile' truce that seemed to be going on and I had planned to put down 2 piles of the clippings and then separate them again.
I dropped a pile in the middle of the 'big girls' side and shooed the little ones onto their side. I dropped the rest of the clippings. Before I could turn around Raisin (the worst of the big bullies) came tearing around the open end of the fencing and right up to Hurra.
Little Hurra stood up on her tippy-toes with her neck stretched out as far as she could go - her and Raisin were beak to beak... then Hurra started doing her neck in this crazy 'bob & weave' motion as if she was saying "You want a piece of THIS!?!?! HUH!? You think you can take me now!?!?!" And sure enough, Raisin ducked her head and went back over to her 'gang'.
It was SOO FUNNY!!!!!
Good Girl Hurra!

Wouldn't it be just too perfect if little Hurra becomes top hen?

 

[canesisters]

Well, here we go again. I picked up this year's batch of chicks and have one who again seems to be a 'failure to thrive' baby. She is a Dorking/EE cross, about a week or so old. She is in with 2 other EE crosses who have doubled in size and are VERY active. I've been taking some extra groceries out to the brooder a couple of times a day for the last 2 days but the little one hasn't improved. In fact, she just doesn't seem interested in the egg, crumble, yogurt & water mashes.
So today I brought her up to the house for some 'intensive care'. I got her to take a good bit of sugar water drips off the tip of my finger and opened her beak and sprinkled (bit by bit) a reasonable amount of crumble in. It occured to me that the whole beak opening thing was kinda traumatic - for both of us so I started trying to think of a better way.
Since she did so well taking water off of my finger tip, I decided to try something tonight for her 'dinner'. I mixed up some crumble and water, warmed it a little and took a drinking straw with me to the brooder. TA-DA! Worked like a charm. I sucked up about an inch of the mash into the straw and put my finger over the top to keep it from running back out. Then I could just simply hold her, sitting comfey in my other hand and stick the end of the straw over the tip of her beak. She nibbled, and nibbled, and nibbled and took roughly 3 inches of mash - enough to make a nice, lightly filled crop. No stress, no struggle. I can't say how she might do if there are any other issues that are causing her to be so far behind the others, but at least getting enough feed isn't going to be a huge, stressful issue.
Just wanted to share the straw trick - in case it might help anyone else.

Oh, by the way. Hurra grew up to be the HUGE roo in my avitar.

 

[Eowyn2]

Hahahahahahaha!!!! Hurra was a roo! That's hilarious. Especially reading back through the thread.

 

[canesisters]

Sadly, the little dorking mix died. I must have the worst chick nursing skills ever. I've had 4 sick chicks in my chicken keeper career (all of 1 year long) and have lost 3 of the 4. How is it that people can nurse entire flocks of nearly dead chicks back to health? Maybe I should limit myself to only buying started pullets and leave the chick rearing to the hens..

 

[Eowyn2]

I think other people who have had chickens for years and years may have better intuitive skills than us newbies, yes. But sometimes chicks just die. Even with experience.

Sounds like that little chick died with a nice full tummy, so there's at least that...