I got this baby partridge silkie last saturday and it was a little clumsy we will got it. and it still is but it wont eat and wont drink and stands and chirps the whole day. We finally looked and it the next and it is still the same size as when we got it. we took it out and force fed and watered the chick and we have been doing that for days but it is still clumsy and its not growing. after we were done feeding him i put him back with the others. i went amd checked on him an hour later and he was in the food bowl laying on his back and. should i be worried? Will the chick be ok?
Yes, you should be worried. If he isn't doing well he needs to be separated from the others. They may be bullying him away from food and water and he is too weak to do anything about it. If he keeps cheeping, he is probably too cold. A newly hatched chick needs to be kept away from drafts and cold. He should have a heat lamp over half of his brooder / whatever so that the temp. at floor level is 95 degrees.. Every week you can lower it by 5 degrees until he doesn't need extra heat (when he is fully feathered out). Always leave half of his area without the heat so if he is too hot he can move away. Make sure family pets and youngsters don't accidentally hurt him. Give him water in a swallow dish and put some clean marbles or pebbles in it, so he won't accidentally fall in and drown. That can happen even to the healthiest chicks. You could put his feed on the brooder floor on a paper plate so it's easier for him to reach it. Maybe what you feed the chickens is too coarse for him and he needs it grinded a bit to be smaller bits. If you hope to save him - give him a little stuffed animal to cuddle with. Maybe a small mirror so he thinks he has another chick with him. Tempt him to eat some hard boiled finely mashed egg yolk , moistened with a little plain yogurt. Get him some Polyvisol infant drops (at Walmart, etc. pharmacy). He can have 2 drops 3 times a day, this will give him a boost. You can put the drops just inside his beak, so if he doesn't want to swallow he can let it run out and NOT choke on it. If he is eating anything put the drops on a piece of food. He may like little pieces of grape - which would give him a little liquid as well. Put a bit of sugar in his water - you want him to drink so he doesn't dehydrate. It's really better to tempt him to eat than force feed him. The struggle will really stress him and he needs peace and quiet to recuperate. I hope it isn't too late to save this precious little chick. When his needs are met, he should start feeling better and eventually start growing.
Drumstick Diva has giving you some good advice. If this were my new baby, I would keep this little one by himself in a warmer brooder. About 5 degrees warmer than the others. Get some vitamins in him. Especially the B's, E and A. These greatly help weak chicks. Sick chicks don't always eat their chick starter. So offer him up chopped hard boiled eggs. Great emergency food for babies. They can live on it exclusively for a few days to get them back on their feet. As Drumstick Diva said, put a stuffed animal in with him, maybe a small mirror too so he thinks there are others with him. So vitamins, more heat and eggs. Many times these 3 things will perk them up and get them going in now time. Great to have you aboard and good luck with your babies!
Hello and Welcome To BYC! drumstick diva and TwoCrows gave you good advice, good luck with the baby, hope it pulls through.
Sadly he did not survive as soon as I got homee he died in my hands.. he was too far sick for me to help him.
