Chick not really eating

[Massey83]

Hi. I have a single chick that is 6 days old and he really isn't eating. From about day 3 on I tried sugar water from a syringe. He would take a few drops and then try to squirm out of my hand. I repeated this a few times over the following days. I also tried raw yolk in a popsicle stick for a couple of days. He would bite the stick and eat a bit of the yolk, but not much. Today I tried taking medicated crumble and soaking it in water to make a mush, which he also ate a bit of off a stick, but again, very very little. He doesnt seem to touch his crumble at all, and I am not sure how much he is drinking either. He does poop a bit. Some is dark & white as you'd expect, other times it is yellowish and watery. He does't walk terribly well (more like stumbling around as if drunk) and heavilly favours one leg over the other. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[BastyPutt]

Hello there

I won't be much help here, but I can get you started on a few things for when the folks who can help, show up.

First, if you're able to post a few pics of the chick. That would be helpful.

Second, you've answered some of it already, but completing this questionnaire will speed things up.

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use

 

[Massey83]

Hello there

I won't be much help here, but I can get you started on a few things for when the folks who can help, show up.

First, if you're able to post a few pics of the chick. That would be helpful.

Second, you've answered some of it already, but completing this questionnaire will speed things up.

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use

Hi

Barred Rock/Golden Laced Wyandotte mix.
He was the only egg that hatched
He is usually just standing against the wall of the brooder box when I check on him, but if I take him out and put him on the floor he will walk around.
He's been like this since he was hatched 6-7 days ago
No particular signs on trauma. Just his weird leg that he stretches out while standing and balances on the other foot. I did use a hobble for a couple of days but not sure if he really benefited from that.
Not sure the cause for any of it. He's just been a reluctant eater/drinker and clumsy walker from birth.
As I say - limited success getting him to take a few drops of sugar water each time I try, but not many. Same for raw egg yolk, though he will bite at the stick and eat a bit more of that - still very little. Same deal with the medicated chick feed that I mixed with water into a mush and fed from a stick. Water does disappear over a few hours from the jam jar lid I have in there, but for all I know it could be evaporation. Doesn't seem to touch the crumble that is in another lid and also on the paper towel floor.
Some poop is visible n the photo. Some looks like regular bird poop, some looks like a drop of yellow watery liquid.
ideally I would like to resolve the issues on my own, but not opposed to a vet if need-be.
The bedding/housing is a carboard box about 24" x maybe 16" by about 24" tall with a lamp (temp below lamp ranges in the mid 30s celsius). Bedding is coarse sand, but he seemed to struggle walking on that so I put down paper towel on top which seems to have helped a bit.

 

[BastyPutt]

Right on.

I'll post again here and boost this baby up.

 

[Pipica]

Hi, can you get couple more chicks, put a mirror in , cut the wall of the box and replace it with plexiglass? Any of those and all of those can help tremendously that lonely baby. Chickens are flock animals and need company of others , they don’t do well alone.