Help with my chicks! They can't walk!

[California Ducken]

These are the 3 that are crazy drunks.......Sooo cute. But I am still having trouble, esp. with the 2 black ones.

Thanks!

 

[meriruka]

I've helped a few chicks hatch out in the past and they always have trouble for the first few days. Most need a bandaid hobble to get them standing, and then they improve fairly quickly. Poultry vitamins in the waterer help a great deal. If you have to hobble them, remember to put pebbles in the waterer tray or raise it up as they fall over a lot and can drown. (This happened to me and it was heartbreaking) Best of luck with them.

 

[California Ducken]

Thanks! I only have just the black one in my hand to raise now. The other 2 are strong enough now to be raised by mom now. She has them and is doing fine (so far). Now that I say that..........

Thanks for your postings!!!!

 

[shay20]

Good job on helping ans saveing them.

 

[California Ducken]

Ok turn for the worse. Neither black chicks are eating or drinking on their own. They hatched out Sunday about 3 PM. I have been hand feeding(food under my fingernail) each day and watering them this way too. I am using Exact baby bird food. And also sugar water. They hardly have enough energy to do much but sleep and peep. Their eyes hardly stay open.

PLEASE HELP AGAIN. They seem to have hard time getting the food down.......

 

[meriruka]

Check them for poultry lice. It is common for chicks to become infested since mom is unable to go out & dust because she is sitting.
Hold them up to a heat lamp and watch the back of the head to see if anything is moving around. These things will drain a chick dry.
If not, they may not be warm enough or worst case, they just won't live. Try poultry vitamins in the water, let them be warm & sleep.

Hope they perk up for you.

 

[California Ducken]

No lice.
When I took them outside for an outing in the sun.....they perked right up.
I will increase their temp.
They don't eat or drink on their own. I give them Exact baby bird food mouthful by mouthful....water drop by drop.
Thanks for the encouragement!

:

 

[big red chicken]

just to give you some encouragement, I had two sex links that didn't walk for a couple of days. Now they are 12 wks. old and they are doing fine. Like you said increase temp. I just continue to had feed mine. It took them a couple of days to stand.

 

[California Ducken]

Thank You big red chicken!! These micro chicks are so small. They are bantys and runts at that!

 

[California Ducken]

Hi, it's been a long time that went by. Now that chick is my last surviving hen now. The others I had all passed with in the last year. All from ovarian cancer. I know this because after they passed I took them to the University Davis Ca. and they did a necropsy on each one after they passed. Banshee, my remaining hen is a strong, brave, loving little fighter. She is an inside only bird now because she's so weak. She acts like a little puppy and never wants to be alone & follows us everywhere.
I just thought I'd finish the last of the story about the chicks I posted.