Chick with heat stroke

[Noxluna]

Hi guys. This morning I was at a farmers market and saw two chicks being kept in the direct Florida sunlight with no access to water. They were both laying limp and panting heavily so I brought them home and gave them some water with electrolytes. The one has recovered well and is walking around my brooder and chirping. The other one is just sitting there with a 1000 yard stare. I patted him down with a damp cloth, is there anything else I can do for him?

They look like they are about 2 weeks old, the lady selling them said they are Easter Eggers but honestly they could be anything. Here is a picture of them. Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

With older chickens they like to cool their legs off by standing in a shallow wide pan of water, so the wet cloth is a good idea. Try to get as much water into her a drop at a time, so as not to choke her. Too bad they were out in the sun with no water. Some people are pretty thoughtless. I hope you can save the little one. EE's can look just about like any chicken, but should develop greenish legs.

 

[Noxluna]

They do both have green legs so maybe they really are EEs

 

[sidnac100]

Hi, I am Noxluna's mother. The EEs we picked up this morning are doing pretty good. The stronger one (Zane, for now) is very alert, eating and drinking on her own. She loves to be petted and will call out until you come over to giver her attention. The weaker chick (Not Quite Dead Fred, for now--from a Spamalot musical character) is starting to walk about and is drinking stronger. We will see how he is doing in the morning. (the pronouns are strictly conjecture at this point and subject to change )

 

[Kiki]

Poultry vitamins and electrolytes can be life savers in situations like these.

Good luck.

 

[Kiki]

Hi, I am Noxluna's mother. The EEs we picked up this morning are doing pretty good. The stronger one (Zane, for now) is very alert, eating and drinking on her own. She loves to be petted and will call out until you come over to giver her attention. The weaker chick (Not Quite Dead Fred, for now--from a Spamalot musical character) is starting to walk about and is drinking stronger. We will see how he is doing in the morning. (the pronouns are strictly conjecture at this point and subject to change )

Welcome to BYC!

 

[sidnac100]

Welcome to BYC!

Thank you

 

[aart]

Soaking a Qtip and holding to the side of the birds beak is a safe way to get fluid into them.
Fluid will wick into their mouths and they will swallow it.
Rubbing under their chins and the front of their necks can encourage them to swallow.

Had a heat stroker last summer.....took multiple sessions over the whole day to get enough ChikSaver into her that she would drink on her own.

Good job saving the chicks. The market master should not have let that happen.

 

[Kiki]

I've had luck with holding a spoon full of water to the beak too.
I'm too chicken to try to drop water with a dropper into a chicks mouth..afraid I would kill/drown it.

 

[Noxluna]

Good news, Not Dead Fred has started to walk a little (albeit with a rather drunken gait) and is drinking and eating a little on his own.