CakNH
In the Brooder
I just brought home my first little flock of day-old chicks from MPC. Fourteen of them are doing great. My little Lavender Orp, Daisy (she’s the only one with a name so far because we’ve been nursing her), appears to be failing to thrive.
She was the only one in the shipment box who seemed to be a bit less active than the others, and was getting a bit trampled. For the long ride home from the PO, my college-aged daughter (who is a biology major looking to go into medicine) snuggled her in her jacket and fed her Nutri-Drench out of the palm of her hand. We blasted the heat in the car until we were dripping with sweat to drive 40 miles through a blizzard, back home to the brooder.
Daisy perked up with the ND, and then just wanted to snuggle and nap. She never made a single peep, but would sometimes open her beak wide.
We got home and kept the other girls in the box for a minute to get Daisy settled. We dipped her beak in the water, but she showed no interest. We showed her the chick starter. Again, no interest.
Got the other girls in assembly-line style (check for pasty butt, dropper of ND, dip beak in water, go). They were all fine. Mixed up some mash with warm water and chick starter, and DD snuggled Daisy and tried to hand feed her. She may have ingested a tiny bit, but no interest.
Put Daisy under the Brinsea. Warmed towels in dryer. Made up some electrolyte solution. DD wrapped her in a warm towel and we dropper-fed her electrolytes, which she took. Put her back under the Brinsea, full contact.
She’s now napping. One of her sisters (another LO) is snuggling her. She’s on her side, and breathing more frequent but more shallow breaths than the other nappers.
Any advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.
She was the only one in the shipment box who seemed to be a bit less active than the others, and was getting a bit trampled. For the long ride home from the PO, my college-aged daughter (who is a biology major looking to go into medicine) snuggled her in her jacket and fed her Nutri-Drench out of the palm of her hand. We blasted the heat in the car until we were dripping with sweat to drive 40 miles through a blizzard, back home to the brooder.
Daisy perked up with the ND, and then just wanted to snuggle and nap. She never made a single peep, but would sometimes open her beak wide.
We got home and kept the other girls in the box for a minute to get Daisy settled. We dipped her beak in the water, but she showed no interest. We showed her the chick starter. Again, no interest.
Got the other girls in assembly-line style (check for pasty butt, dropper of ND, dip beak in water, go). They were all fine. Mixed up some mash with warm water and chick starter, and DD snuggled Daisy and tried to hand feed her. She may have ingested a tiny bit, but no interest.
Put Daisy under the Brinsea. Warmed towels in dryer. Made up some electrolyte solution. DD wrapped her in a warm towel and we dropper-fed her electrolytes, which she took. Put her back under the Brinsea, full contact.
She’s now napping. One of her sisters (another LO) is snuggling her. She’s on her side, and breathing more frequent but more shallow breaths than the other nappers.
Any advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.
