HELP Please!!! Chick seems lethargic, barely opening it's eyes...

[steffpeck]

I am really sorry to be posting so many questions, but my silkie chick that hatched about 2 hours ago, is still really lethargic, not really moving around alot, the other 3 are pecking at him, it startles him and then he lays back down and just lays there in a lump. He does seem a bit smaller than the other silkie that has hatched also. The other 2 that are already hatched are cochins. Do I just leave him in there or do I need to get some electrolytes or something into him?? Thanks for helping me.

Steff

 

[RyanAndMeri]

Hey I hope your chick is ok. Sometimes they pull through, sometimes they dont.

We had two hens we rescued from that same thing that are doing really well right now, even though they're half the size of their same-age siblings.. they're really cute and have qwerky personalities. But we had another one just recently that didn't pull through no matter what we did to help it, it was just too weak to right itself when it got knocked over and would struggle until exhausted and fall asleep on it's back. We'd right it when we could but it didn't help her any. I think you can do everything right and still have chicks that dont make it

It's very stressfull!!

Good luck!

PS. One thing I found that worked with the chickens that were pecking the runts was - I just took out the ring leader from the rest of the chickens and let her sleep alone for a night. She was *greatfull* to be back in with the others and stopped picking on the runt chicken.

I say runt but she's really not, she was just 2-3 weeks younger than the other chicks so she got picked on a ton.

 

[steffpeck]

I finally took him out of the bator for a minute wrapped him up in a washcloth and dipped his beak in sugar water a few time. By the end of the night last night he was running around like a crazy man with the others.

 

[rooster-red]

Giving it sugar water was a good idea, just don't give it too much, try to get a vitamin suppliment for it. Too much sugar can kill it.

 

[steffpeck]

Quote:
Thanks!! I did give it just a little bit, and it seemed to do the trick. He/She is running around ruling the roost now.