Do we know what causes 'Failure to Thrive'?

[Denninmi]

Of course, I realize there is no doubt more than one possible cause.

I have this little baby button quail chick hatched Friday that is just having the hardest time, yet trying so hard to live. He is very small and doesn't seem to be making much headway. It never "perked up" like the rest did a few hours after hatching. I've been trying my best to help him out, but I don't know if it's doing a lot of good. It does eat and drink on its own now, which is an improvement.

So, my question is -- what is the real reason for this kind of thing? Genetic? Everything else is the same as its 6 hatchmates, but since I got the eggs from a breeder, I assume different parents.

 

[CoopCrazy]

I honestly dont know either but have thought Genetics, Somehow got jumbled during hatching, possible parent stock had sickness which resulted in weak baby??????? These are all just guesses but I have wondered the same

 

[SeaHen]

I wonder the same thing. In human infants it's sometimes due to an error of metabolism. We recently hatched some ducklings, and I had always been concerned about one egg that had the air cell on the side. Sure enough, that baby needed assistance getting out of the shell and never grew or got up and around like its brothers and sisters. We did all we could, but it died at one week of age and at that time was only about one-third the size of the others. I can't decide if the abnormal air sac was the cause or result of the duckling's problems. I raised a runner duck a few years ago with similar problems. He reached adulthood but stayed tiny and never developed true feathers or oil glands.

The fact that yours is eating and drinking on its own is a good sign. My little one never got to that point, so to me your situation sounds hopeful. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Denninmi]

Thank you for the replies. The little quail has perked up a lot from where it was 48 hours ago. It is moving around a lot and eating constantly. I think it looks a little bigger to me this morning, so I'm sort of cautiously optimistic that it might live. Time will tell.

I do know that if it makes it, I shouldn't let it breed. If it's male, I'll have to keep it away from the females, and if its female I'll have to separate it so I can never hatch its eggs.