Help! Depressed 3-4 day old chick

[oopsididitahen]

Hi! I have a 3–4 day old chick that was gimping around the school for a couple days. He was mostly keeping up with the others despite a leg injury. Today he was stranded from him mom with a littermate and depressed so I caught him to hand raise. He is in a brooder now. He perks up when touched or moved but then within 10 seconds his eyes are closed and his head is drooping. I don't know how long he has been "cold", his crop is empty. I want to get some food in him to raise his blood sugar, but the stress of it seems to exacerbate the depression. Help, please!!

 

[azygous]

If you have a heating pad, rig it up to form a tent three inches high so it's touching his back. This is like a mama hen, and it will comfort as well as warm. Then hard boil an egg and mince it finely in a food processor or blender. He should tear into that. In addition, dissolve a little sugar in some tepid water and drip it on the side of his beak to get some water into him and revive him.

 

[PrudentPrepper]

It sounds like the chick has the "failure to thrive" syndrome. About 3-5% of the chicks I get to raise from day one do the same thing. Lethargic, won't open eyes, drooping head, won't eat, etc. They lay there and die. I think it is due to internal organ problems or an inability to uptake and utilize vitamins/key nutrients. They tend to die around 3-4 days or after a week or two at most (after the yolk reserves run out). The mom may have left the chick because she knew it was not going to make it (sounds cruel, but it is better for the flock that the weak are weeded out). The only thing you can do is give it hard boiled egg, probiotics, and vitamins/electrolytes, keep it warm and see if it lives. Good luck!

 

[oopsididitahen]

Thanks! After some heat and some rest he has perked up. He is drinking on his own and his mentation is much brighter and alert now. He is vocalizing energetically, too. Now to just figure out to get him to eat. I will try the boiled egg. Any other suggestions/ ideas?

 

[PrudentPrepper]

Awesome, it wasn't a failure to thrive then, must just have been cold. If he is still limping, I'd keep him in a smaller brooder and not give him too much of a chance to move around for a few days and let his leg heal. I have a chick that sprained or stressed it's leg a few days ago and I put it in a single brooder with its own food and water with electrolytes and vitamins/probiotics and she is doing great after four days. I'd spend some extra time with the chick and keep it warm with plenty of water and food and it should be just fine. Congrats

 

[oopsididitahen]

Great! Thank you.

 

[azygous]

Do the boiled egg, minced finely. If he won't eat that, try crumbled tofu. Then transition him to chick feed as soon as you can. Sprinkle a bit of it at first onto the floor of the brooder, and that should trigger his natural urge to peck bits up with his beak. If he doesn't take to the dry crumbles, try wetting it with warm water.