chick closed eyes chirping constantly RIP

[seminolewind]

one of my 3 day old chicks keeps her eyes closed unless i pick her up, and she chirps all the time. i have seen her drink and eat but not very much. help !!!!!-karen

 

[seminolewind]

don't worry, Seminole, someone will answer your post.

 

[Katy]

I really don't know what to suggest. The others are acting ok? If you haven't seen her eat and drink much she may be hungry and thirsty. Have you put her up to the water bowl? Is her butt clean? I lost one this week and she was the same way. Stood around and cheeped all the time. When I'd put her by the water she'd drink like she was terribly thirsty......but she never seemed to go to the dish on her own. Sorry I don't have an answer for you.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Usually cheeping means something's wrong..
Is she too hot or too cold?
Maybe she's got poopy butt and you need to clean her off.
Maybe she needs to be separated with just one buddy so that she doesn't have to compete so much with the others for food and water.

 

[justusnak]

If she is eating and drinking when you put her to the dish....is there a possibility she is blind?? And cant find them? The poor little one....I hope she pulls through.

 

[jeaucamom]

Total stab in the dark, but maybe some sugar water to give her a little get up and go. Our maybe a drop or two of polyvisol. Hope your chickie is ok!!

 

[seminolewind]

Thanks for the suggestions. I would welcome more ideas.
She has no poopy butt, and the others are very nice to her. My temp has been 85 d. and the others are fine with that. But I am making it a bit warmer.
So far I have put erythromicin ointment in her eyes, (used on newborns), and made a mash with water and starter. I will try a bit of yogurt, too. She ate the mash well, I put it inside the tip of her beak with a syringe. I'll try more later. She does not act blind, it almost looks like she's sensitive to the light.
Katy, sorry you lost one. I'll mix the mash with some sugar water, and my fat free milk has more electrolytes than gatorade, so maybe some of that.
The sugar water sounds like a good energy boost.
-karen

 

[seminolewind]

I gave the chick the special concoction, and she showed interest and ate it off a spoon. I think she has a little crop bump, too.
I sat there watching them for quite a while, and couldn't tell who she was. More importantly, I noticed that very few were actually eating the starter-grower, just picking at it. And today is day 3, about use up all their yolk.
I took the chick starter and ran it thru the blender, making about half of it smaller and some of it powder, and there was a mad frenzy to eat the stuff!
These polish chicks are small, as are silkies. If you have chicks, you might want to grind the starter smaller. I have never see any of them eat like this! They were animals!
-karen

 

[Dodgegal79]

I'm glad you noticed that and fixed it for them. Poor little things. I know I have to grind the starter for my baby quail.

 

[SpottedCrow]

You shouldn't give them milk, though...birds are lactose intolerant...