So I have chicks that are a few days old, and most of them refuse to open their eyes all the way. When they do open them, it is for verrry short bits, then they are closed again. These chicks also have not been drinking much at all unless I keep dipping beaks. Otherwise they have been just standing(NOT laying down)with their eyes closed. They have not been fully responsive, and the whole group(over 30) appears to be affected. After dipping their beaks in water with honey and vinegar, they seem to perk up and behave mostly normally(except still not opening eyes as much as they should) for a short time, then it starts all over again. I have raised many chicks before, and do not recall anything like this happening. Does anyone know anything about this?
It does not sound good. Chicks that stand around with their eyes closed or at half mast and are not active most likely have the "failure to thrive" syndrome. I would segregate all in this category and keep an eye on them. Feeding them a weak tea of Poultry Nutri-drench after applying one drop on the side of each beak will jump start the little guys if it's at all possible.
Thank you. It was the whole group yesterday; but thankfully they seem to be improving. I continued with the dipping beaks and watching them, and now I just counted seven keeping open eyes(running around and pecking, too!), four at the food(they had stopped eating), and three laying down like regular chicks. So they are doing much better. Do you think I should still try the Nutri-drench?
Yes. The Nutri-drench is an excellent insurance policy to get your chicks off to a good start. It's specially formulated for poultry and is absorbed directly into the blood stream without needing to be digested. If there are any problems with under-developed organs, it could make the difference between these chicks thriving or not.
