HELP - 3 Day Old Chick In Trouble... PICS ADDED

[Buugette]

I'm not gonna do the flush... I don't think it has anything to do with her crop. She is now wiphing her mouth on the towel after eating yogurt from the dropper... she is so cute. I so hope she lives... we are trying.

How often should we be giving fluids and food throughout the night?

Yes, I am using medicated chick starter.

Diana

 

[threehorses]

Personally I'd continue with her diet of medicated crumbles, and some yogurt. I think she just was overcome with eating a lot, probably her first day of a really huge meal. I'd also want her in with the others as you're unsure of how to tend to brooder temps.

The easiest way of doing that without a thermometer is this.

Watch the chicks. If they pile up under the lamp alot, they're too cool (and can smother one another). If they are near the lamp at the coolest part of the night, but basically evenly spread out (not clumped and peeping) then they're comfortable. If they are at the part of the brooder away from the lamp, it's too hot.

Give them all the yogurt daily, then give it weekly through the rest of the "starter" period (8 weeks). Be sure to not leave it there all day - just feed as a treat (good to use as a bribe) so it doesn't go bad.

Babies will often hog their feed and cause a ridiculous crop. As long as it empties over a reasonable period of time, then it's *usually* fine though this one had a bit of a problem with it.

PM me if you need anything. I can do phone calls.

Or email me.

 

[Buugette]

I would like to let everyone know that she is doing so much better. The best we can come up with is that she stopped drinking. Once we got her hydrated, she began eating, totally enjoying the egg yolk. The first night she insisted on being returned to the other chicks... did not want to be alone. By then she was unstable, standing on her own and keeping her head up. We could see she was eating, but could not confirm drinking. We continued with the Gatorade throughout the night about every 2 hours.

The more we tried to give it to her, the more she started to fight us which we thought was a good sign. By morning she was walking around more and still eating on her own. She was still shy around the others and did not fight for her place at the feeder. I added additional dishes of food so she could eat without being trampled by the others.

Yesterday we continued with vitamins and Gatorade leaving her to eat as she pleased. By last night we saw her drinking on her own. We have added Gatorade to the water dish and will only offer it from the dropper every few hours... just to make sure we are positive a few drops go in throughout the day.

She slept well last night, the light was on, they were all spread out within the bin, laying seperate and flat with wings out. The temp within the bin ranged between 92 and 97, they all seemed content. This morning she is up and running around. Eating and drinking.

Thank you all so much for your advice. I really thought by how she looked and acted we were going to lose her. I know we are not out of the woods yet, she is still weaker and less stable on her feet than the others, and considerably smaller, but for now we are please and thankful for her progress.

She has her own little guardian angel chicken...

Diana

 

[threehorses]

Diana, that's certainly good news! I suspect you're right about her not eating. That could be why her crop contents didn't soften and pass, and i would bet that's exactly why. Good call! I'm glad to hear she's doing better.

 

[Buugette]

Quick update... Thelma is doing so much better. She is doing more chicken stuff... stretching, scratching, picking at everything... and especially drinking and eating... and we are very happy with her progress. We are concerned that she is sooooooo little. The others are growing quickly but she seems so tiny.

Thanks again for everyone's assistance.

Diana

 

[threehorses]

I'm glad to hear, at least, that she's doing well. Is she smaller than the other silkies? Or smaller than other general chicks? She probably is behind on growing because she had a bad start of it - just keep her eating, maybe give her a little spare egg yolk each day. (Keep a boiled yolk in the fridge for example - makes life easier). She might have something internally, but hopefully again just a slow start.

Do let us know how she's doing, please. She really is adorable.

 

[insiderart]

I put my slow starters in with the newborns, or separate them out with a buddy. That way there's not so much competition and I can keep a closer eye on them. Good job!

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
That's always great advice! I do that, too, with my smaller or more delicate babies - usually have two cages for growing if now earlier as sometimes the bigger more vigorous birds just intimidate the smaller ones.

 

[Buugette]

Thelma is smaller than the other 4 silkies... same age, but considerably smaller. I haven't seperated her as she pitched a fit when I did. She seems to do just fine with the other chicks. I have several food dishes available so she does not have to fight for food. They all enjoy the boiled egg yolk and look at it as a special treat.

She does, however, HATE the vitamins... she sees that bottle come over and she hides underneath the little black silkie, Louise.

They are currently with my mother, as she is chicksitting... I was very afraid to leave Thelma alone while I was at work. I get regular updates during the day.

It is obvious that she is not developing as quickly as the others, but as weak as she was... it really doesn't surprise me. I am very surprise that we didn't lose her... and very thankful. She has stolen the hearts of my entire family... especially my hubby (who doesn't want chickens...)

Diana

 

[helkat]

Aww! Glad to hear she is doing better!!