Chick moving less

[HollyParks]

I have a salmon faverolle chick that seemed totally healthy a couple of days ago. Yesterday I noticed he started laying down more. He didn’t show any other symptoms. He would get up to drink water and then lay back down. He had a little bit of poo and shavings stuck to his foot so I washed it off and dried him before putting him in a box within the brooder.

A little background:
This chick is 5 days old. I bought SF eggs to hatch along with my own fertile eggs. None of the other chicks, including the other Salmon Faverolle, looks sick. I keep them in a 5 foot brooder with a screened top with lots of water and chick starter (medicated). Their bedding is pine shavings on top of pellets. I see no bloody stool and all chicks have clear beaks and clean vents.

Could it be a thiamine deficiency? He just looks like he’s too tired to walk, but he can. There’s no gaping or respiratory issues, no external injuries, no bullying (he was one of the more active chicks)… His poo does seem a little thick. Could he have eaten the pine pellets?

I’m just a little lost as to what I should do now. I don’t want to lose this chick but I also don’t want my other ones getting sick. Amy insights or thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Eggcessive]

How warm is your brooder, and do you have a thermometer? Can you give the chick some Poultry NutriDrench or some electrolytes and water, and keep dipping its beak into water. Get it eating some raw egg and some moist chick crumbles. Has it had any pasty butt? How does it’s crop feel?

 

[HollyParks]

How warm is your brooder, and do you have a thermometer? Can you give the chick some Poultry NutriDrench or some electrolytes and water, and keep dipping its beak into water. Get it eating some raw egg and some moist chick crumbles. Has it had any pasty butt? How does it’s crop feel?

Near the lamps it is between 89-92. Pretty consistent heat. They currently have the chick electrolytes now and I added the probiotics to that one chick’s water. Crop feels normal, I have given it some yolk and that seemed to help. It just seems pretty blocked up, but is getting it out.

 

[Eggcessive]

The more it drinks the better it may make the droppings less thick. A few drops of olive oil or coconut oil orally can help to soften the poops.

 

[HollyParks]

Thank you, I’ll try that!

 

[HollyParks]

Update:
Little guy is doing much better. I’ve done some yolk and coconut oil. He is standing more and passing a lot of stool. I wonder if he ate the broken down pellets. That’s kind of a scary thought. I may scrape out all bedding and lay just the flakes down.

 

[Eggcessive]

Glad that it is doing better. I loved my faverolles over the years. They are very meek mild mannered chickens, and really pretty.

 

[HollyParks]

Glad that it is doing better. I loved my faverolles over the years. They are very meek mild mannered chickens, and really pretty.

That’s why I really wanted a couple. I’m really hoping I have at least one hen. I hatched two but they are very slow to feathering and the little wing feathers look so dark. They are with quite a few more chicks that hatched a day or two after them and they all embrace wing feathers, including the other male chicks.