Help, First time baby chicks

[Rachel28]

Hi,
I picked up 5 baby chicks 2 weeks ago and everything seemed fine until a few days ago when I noticed one chick was much smaller than the others. Basically it looks the same size and when we first got it. Now it can't stand. I did take it to the vet and they couldn't find anything wrong with it. It did have a stuck eye so they gave me cream and they also gave me some bird first aid food. So for the past 2 days I have been giving it the first aid paste twice a day. I am also making sure it is eating and drinking. It sleeps a lot and I have had to isolate it as it was getting trampled. It is quite noisy, chirping quite a bit when not sleeping. Has a heat lamp. Not sure what else I can do. It isn't getting better but it's not getting worse??? So stressful as not sure what else I can do. Thanks for your help.

 

[ClareDB]

Hi,
I picked up 5 baby chicks 2 weeks ago and everything seemed fine until a few days ago when I noticed one chick was much smaller than the others. Basically it looks the same size and when we first got it. Now it can't stand. I did take it to the vet and they couldn't find anything wrong with it. It did have a stuck eye so they gave me cream and they also gave me some bird first aid food. So for the past 2 days I have been giving it the first aid paste twice a day. I am also making sure it is eating and drinking. It sleeps a lot and I have had to isolate it as it was getting trampled. It is quite noisy, chirping quite a bit when not sleeping. Has a heat lamp. Not sure what else I can do. It isn't getting better but it's not getting worse??? So stressful as not sure what else I can do. Thanks for your help.

I have one the same at the moment and it wont survive the night. Sometimes unfortunately the weak ones die and you cant do anything about it. Just keep an eye on the others if they start acting sick I would be contacting the person you bought them from. Its sad I know. Good luck X

 

[Acre4Me]

Is the first aid food electrolytes? Or does it have medicine in it?

Can the chick get away from the heat lamp if it gets too hot?

Can the chick see and hear the other chicks? They are flock animals, so need the company.

Have you seen any improvement since visiting the vet?

Hopefully your chick perks up for you!

 

[Rachel28]

I have one the same at the moment and it wont survive the night. Sometimes unfortunately the weak ones die and you cant do anything about it. Just keep an eye on the others if they start acting sick I would be contacting the person you bought them from. Its sad I know. Good luck X

Thanks it is sad but I don't know what else I can do

 

[Rachel28]

Is the first aid food electrolytes? Or does it have medicine in it?

Can the chick get away from the heat lamp if it gets too hot?

Can the chick see and hear the other chicks? They are flock animals, so need the company.

Have you seen any improvement since visiting the vet?

Hopefully your chick perks up for you!

Hi, The first aid is like a paste and I am assuming has electrolytes. It is right next to the other chicks so it can hear them. It does manage to get away from the heat or move closer to it. Unfortunately it hasn't picked up at all since the vet. Poor little thing.

 

[Acre4Me]

Hi, The first aid is like a paste and I am assuming has electrolytes. It is right next to the other chicks so it can hear them. It does manage to get away from the heat or move closer to it. Unfortunately it hasn't picked up at all since the vet. Poor little thing.

Unfortunately it might not get better. Since it is getting food/water, and electrolytes, but not showing improvement, it seems like there could be another issue going on, maybe something internal. Have poops looked normal? How about breathing?

 

[ClareDB]

Thanks it is sad but I don't know what else I can do

Yes you've done all you can do.

 

[Rachel28]

Unfortunately it might not get better. Since it is getting food/water, and electrolytes, but not showing improvement, it seems like there could be another issue going on, maybe something internal. Have poops looked normal? How about breathing?

Poops look fine and breathing is ok too. It just isn't getting any better and it looks like a day old. The others are at least twice its size now. I did read about splay leg and i have put a bandaid around it's legs to keep them closer together but i noticed that it's little feet are looking curled now. Talk about stressful. This morning I woke to it chirping loudly and realised our electricity had gone off. I managed to keep it warm with hot water in a sandwich bag until the power came back on. Who knew raising chicks was so full on!!!!

 

[Acre4Me]

Poops look fine and breathing is ok too. It just isn't getting any better and it looks like a day old. The others are at least twice its size now. I did read about splay leg and i have put a bandaid around it's legs to keep them closer together but i noticed that it's little feet are looking curled now. Talk about stressful. This morning I woke to it chirping loudly and realised our electricity had gone off. I managed to keep it warm with hot water in a sandwich bag until the power came back on. Who knew raising chicks was so full on!!!!

Yes, babies of all kinds have many demands! And since they need help to do things, like keeping warm in this case, they really let you know it.

There was a thread on BYC in the past month or so about someone in a similar situation. Not sure if you have searched this forum or the Emegency/disease forum, but that might give you other threads to read, if you are interested.

Good luck!

 

[Y master]

I had a chick like this a couple of years ago and I took it to an avian vet who put it's legs together (like you did with the band aid) and said that they had a couple of chicks like this before and most of them survive. They said to make sure he's still eating and drinking. Unfortunately mine didn't survive but there is still a bit of hope for your little guy. You have done all you can and now its up to the chick to see if it will get any better .