Chick Acts Like She's Still in an Egg

[Wacky Workshop]

I just bought thirty chickens and fifteen ducks from Privett Hatchery. This was my first time ordering chicks via mail, and I was surprised only one was dead in the box, which was sad, of course, but the survival rate was much better than originally anticipated.

Anyway, this one chick (she's a Salmon Favorelle) is really weird. She kept sleeping in the kennel. It's been around 12 hours, and I finally pulled her out to check her out. She has bright eyes and chirps, but she curls up in my hand and sleeps like she's still in her egg...
She wasn't too interested in eating, but she ate a little egg. She also drank water. She will walk backwards, but can't walk forwards at all.

I'm not terribly worried about her (unless I should be, then uh oh). I do want to see what everyone says I should do with her, but I also wanted to see if anyone has had a chick that curls up in your hand like she does. It so cute!

But yeah, let me know what's up!

 

[rosemarythyme]

It's concerning that all she wants to do is sleep, and can't walk properly. Could be shipping stress, or there could be something wrong with her internally.

If you can get some Poultry Nutri-Drench I'd direct dose her with a few drops, and also add some to the water (dilution instructions on bottle) to see if that will perk her up a bit so she eats and drinks on her own.

 

[Wacky Workshop]

It's concerning that all she wants to do is sleep, and can't walk properly. Could be shipping stress, or there could be something wrong with her internally.

If you can get some Poultry Nutri-Drench I'd direct dose her with a few drops, and also add some to the water (dilution instructions on bottle) to see if that will perk her up a bit so she eats and drinks on her own.

I'll see what I can do. I unfortunately don't have any Nutri-Drench, but I'll see if I can get my hands on any. She'll drink on her own (though she's a little clumsy), and she is walking now, just not as well as the other chicks.

 

[Wacky Workshop]

It's like she can't keep her balance... She's not sleeping so much anymore, and she has bright eyes and chirps like the rest of the chicks, but she keeps her head down and will stumble when I pull her head up at all...

 

[Wacky Workshop]

She can't eat any crumbles I give her, even though they're practically powder. She tries, but never swallows any. She keeps tucking her head between her legs and walking backwards, too. She drinks fine (though sometimes she dunks her head in the water).

 

[Wacky Workshop]

^

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you can't get Nutri-Drench, you could also try diluting some molasses with water (about 50-50) and mixing in some chick vitamins into the mixture. Not really sure what's wrong with it but it needs to start eating.

 

[Wacky Workshop]

I'll try that. I've tried to feed her yolk, but she'll run away (backwards, of course) from the toothpick I've been using to try and get it on her beak.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'll try that. I've tried to feed her yolk, but she'll run away (backwards, of course) from the toothpick I've been using to try and get it on her beak.

You need a syringe, open her beak and do a drop at a time onto the bottom beak and let her swallow between drops. She should also be wrapped up while you're doing this so she doesn't escape and hurt herself.

 

[Wacky Workshop]

I gave her the molasses mixture. I did just put it on top of her beak and let it slide down, which she took fine, because I couldn't get her beak open. I was using an eyedropper since I don't have a proper syringe. I'll watch her and see if she improves at all, and feed her every hour or so.