Chick not thriving

[lishah2000]

I don't remember the hatch date, but it's plenty old enough to be on it's own. Silkie.

It has seemed delayed since it hatched. I'm on the third round of bringing it inside and making sure it eats and drinks and gets strong enough to go back outside. It seems to get strong when inside and I make sure it eats and drinks. It had been adopted and cared for, on several occasions, by broody hens and even the roosters. Does well when an adult is calling it to food, but when it's on it's own it seems to not eat or drink. It eats first thing in the morning and if I throw scratch, but other times just seems to sit around and not eat. I don't think I've ever seen it go to the water and drink, but it will drink if called by another chicken or if I take it to the water.

The other chickens do not pick on it.

Is it possible it has some sort of damage that it forgets to eat/drink or something else. My husband said maybe it's blind. I don't know how to check, but I'm pretty sure it can see out of the left eye. Right eye not so sure. But it will peck at scratch when it's doing well.

It's not bouncing back as well this time. I considered putting it down a few days ago and it started to eat more on it's own. Gave vitamins by the beak yesterday and today. (have been mixing vitamins in the food at other times) Held it and the food this morning and it ate a lot.

 

[CMV]

How old is it approximately? I am thinking it may be a failure to thrive chick. Those birds rarely survive long term. They often need much care and effort to make them live. It is difficult to say what is wrong with these chicks. They just don't seem to be thrifty.

It's up to you how you want to deal with her. If you don't have time for a house chicken/special needs chicken then I would cull her. If you have the time and energy to keep her going then you will probably need to bring her inside for good. I wouldn't get too attached to her though.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. It's a tough call.

 

[lishah2000]

Just looked and I have pictures of them as tiny babies at the end of August. So they hatched around that time. Just three chicks, five broodies, so they got lots of attention. One of the others is doing fine and has been on it's own for quite awhile now. The other was killed by a snake a month or so ago, but it was also doing fine. (I still surprised the snake didn't go after this one, which was weak and small enough for it to eat - the one it killed was too big for it)

Oddly enough it's eating really good today, especially if I hold it. BUT after I felt like something was crawling in my hair. I got out a bright light to check the chicken and did see one bug I think was a lice. Never had any issues before this. I dusted the bird and cleaned the cage.

Went and checked a few birds that were in the same coop and didn't see any. Checked a few in other coops and didn't see any. I will keep checking them.

I know mites can really bring them down, but what about lice? Or would they get on just one bird because it's weaker?

 

[CMV]

Lice can weaken and kill birds as well, especially a bird that is already compromised. You are going to need to do a complete bug regimen on the whole flock. If one has them, they all have them.

Sorry. Good luck.