Chicks Sick???

[slaughter170]

My chicks are three weeks old and two of them are not as big as the others. These two also are constantly laying down. I know they are eating and drinking because they have been doing this for about 10 days. I have tried electolytes, but its still about the same. They seem healthy other than the size and lying down all the time. Any ideas?

 

[mmaddie's mom]

poly-visol baby vitamins (without iron)

 

[SmittenChicken]

How many chicks do you have, and how big is your brooder? How many feeders and waterers do you have? My first guess would be that your two little chicks are the weaklings of the bunch and they may get bullied away from the food/water. Maybe it would help to add an extra feeder and/or give them some more space.

Do you see any underlying physical problems with their legs/feet that would keep them from walking and getting to the food?

You might also try pulling those two out and giving them some special supplementation every day - i.e. a cooked egg yolk with some chick vitamins mixed in - to be sure they're getting some extra protein. I did this with one of my Black Stars as a chick because she was scrawny, getting knocked around and seemed to have a pretty bad case of crookneck. I think it might have helped her socially as well as physically, Sesame climbed right up the pecking order and is now our biggest, meanest pullet. I can only guess that it's because the other chicks saw her getting all the good treats first. I think she's going to win the race to the first egg too.

 

[slaughter170]

I have 10 chicks and my brooder is 4' by 2'. They seem to have plenty of room for now. I have (1) waterer and (1) feeder. I will try the egg yolk and vitamins. Thanks for your help!