Chicks that don't thrive...what do you do? Fairly Urgent...

[klf73]

You just have to be extra careful if you are force feeding her. You don't want her to aspirate it

 

[herechickchick]

Quote:
I agree completely. It stinks but you just have to do it.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I'm in agreement that chicks like this usually don't fare well and end up dying anyway. I told my daughter we'd give her one more day and if she hasn't turned around by tomorrow, the kindest thing to do is to euthanize her.

Krista...instead of the catheter, I just used an eyedropper and was able to get a few drops of egg yolk/sugar/chick starter slurry into her. Still don't see her beginning to peck around for food or go to the waterer on her own. Not too hopeful on this one.

 

[klf73]

OTG- The only reason I mentioned the aspiration was in my younger years I worked in a pet store and tried *helping* dehydrated reptiles(they were dropping like flies). I was a little too eager

. Hopefully she will make it easy on you and make the decision for you.

 

[tood]

Regarding the issue of culling. My husband and I were having the discussion about when it was more humane to cull a chick who was suffering. So my question is, how exactly do you cull a chick?

 

[Katy]

I use ether (starting fluid) sprayed on a rag in a tightly covered coffee can. I don't recommend using this method for an adult bird, but it works well for a small chick.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I, too, use ether. Some people think that ether "suffocates" a chick but it doesn't. It is an anesthetic and works just like being "put to sleep" for surgery. You can even heavily spray a folded paper towel and hold the chick in your lap on top of the papertowel with something light overtop...like a washrag or dishtowel. Ether doesn't smell very good, but it causes unconciousness pretty quickly in the chick. Then, you can either snip off the chicks head (I can't do that...) or put it in a coffee can with the soaked papertowel and it will die in a few minutes from an overdose of the anesthetic.

Although it's sad...and difficult to do for some of us...I do believe it's the most humane thing to do.

 

[klf73]

How is the chick doing?

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Surprisingly well. I saw it have a tiny poop so it's getting some nutrition. My daughter and her grandma are continuing to feed it with an eyedropper (raw egg yolk mixed with a bit of sugar and some chick starter) every few hours. She said she saw it inside the feed dish and it appeared to try to peck at the food. Apparently it's also drinking water on it's own now. It is one of the tiniest bantam cochin chicks I've hatched so perhaps it's just going to take some time and extra effort. I guess the realist in me is still saying I don't think it will make it.

 

[needmorechickens!]

Maybe we could get a pic of the little angel if its doing ok?

~Rebecca