HELP! Syringe Feeding Chicks

[efournier]

Hi all,
I bought 7 chicks are Tractor Supply yesterday. One is really small compared to the others and chirps a lot. I noticed that she didn't seem to be eating or drinking, so I put her in front of the water dish. She started drinking but still won't eat, although the other chicks do and she is really interested in what they are doing. Instead of eating she just climbs all over the food container (which is adorable but not conducive). Her poop was clear, almost like water with a little whiteness to it.
I gave her a mixture of plain yogurt, water, and crumble using an eye dropper. She ate until her crop was full. She finally pooped some color, although it was extremely runny. I plan to continue until I see signs of improvement or hear of something better.
I am wondering, though, if anyone has had success hand feeding chicks before? I have seen a lot of posts about people doing it and suggestions for what to give and how much, but I have yet to see any posts of people who had success. I know not to get too hopeful, but I am crossing my fingers that she will be okay. If you were successful and the chick made it to adulthood, what did you do and how did you do it?

My chick, Cathy, is about 2-3 days old. She is an Isa Brown. She does not have an umbilicus, although the others do. She runs around fine but tries to climb underneath the others a lot. I have adjusted the heat lamp to keep it a little warmer in the brooder.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I wouldn't have assisted her to eat that young. Some take longer before the yolk is used up and have no reason to eat. Keep an eye on her and see if she takes up eating now, though.

 

[efournier]

She still won't eat. The people at Tractor Supply suggested giving her electrolytes in her water and giving it by syringe, which I am now doing. I am wondering if she has a hard time seeing because she doesn't move when I go to pick her up, unlike every other chick I have ever had. She doesn't react to anything unless she is touching it. Unless she is touching another chick she is screaming. The others are pecking at her, though, so I have separated her from them and given her a feather duster for a friend. She still doesn't eat and seems lethargic most of the time, she falls over and falls backwards. Last night I really thought she was dying, but she is still here.

 

[DourS]

Wow. I have one acting the same way. I tried some nutri drench and she started running around into the walls. This morning she is still alive but just sitting under the heating pad. The other 5 are doing great. Trying to fly etc. They are all about a week old. I'm not sure what to do.

 

[efournier]

I have been giving her the water with electrolytes through a syringe and she seems to take that well. I fed her a mush of yogurt, water, and pureed starter crumble as well as some egg yolk using an eyedropper and she ate using that, like a baby sparrow or something, not trying to peck at it, but waiting for it to come to her and then swallowing. She loves her feather duster and snuggles with it in the brooder, which I have divided to keep her separate from the others but so that they all have access to the heat lamp. She is so tiny compared to the others, more like a bantam than a full sized chick. Sometimes she will open her eyes, other times she won't, sometimes she has one open and one closed. That and the fact that she doesn't react until something touches her is what leads me to think she can't see or can barely see. I just hope that she pulls through.
If anyone has other suggestions as to what I can do, I would appreciate them. I have never had a chick that didn't act like a chick before.