How young is too young for live mealworms

[Pixijayne]

I have a very undersized and 'challenged' little 2.5 day old silkie x. Day 19 / 20 all but one had hatched, and Mumma had left the nest. This one egg was left so I brought it in kept it warm and in about 6 hrs it had started to pip. 23 hrs later it was still peeping strongly but getting weaker and I intervened ...

During the hatching which took another 8 hrs I noticed a toe up by its eye, I thought nothing of it as I haven't really watched up close many hatchings - it might be normal, it might not be.... anyway it was out and it was about 4:30am so I raced it out to put under the mumma, thinking she would warm it up and all would be normal ....

I go out at about 7am and the poor thing has been left behind, in the light rain.

I bring it in warm it as fast as I can and hope ...

Once dry I can see it has an odd foot that I fixed to some degree with a cardboard shoe, and it has a dicky eye that it doesn't seem to see well out of.

Anyway getting to the mealworms ... they are the only darn thing this chick shows any interest in eating. They are live and it downed 2 as soon as I put them down, I was happy, its finally eaten !!!!

Then about 2 hrs later I offer another one and it gobbled it down, but this one is coming back up and out its mouth - the chick didn't seem to like all that so now I cut them into 3.

Is it ok to give it as many as it wants ?

I have brought one of its clutch mates in for company and to teach it how to peek and eat and its is starting to grow noticeably bigger, and I can see its full crop where my little one never has a full looking crop.

 

[Pork Pie]

Here's a link grit, which should help you

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/891051/the-science-of-feeding-grit-to-poultry

 

[azygous]

It's fine to let new chicks eat meal worms. It's their natural food. But they need grit to digest the worms.

I raise my chicks on sand from their very beginning, so they have grit at their disposal. They fill up on sand for the first couple days, seeming to eat nothing but. Then they lose interest, having enough in their crops. They get meal worms right away.

But your chick needs a balanced feed. You need to encourage it to eat it. Try moistening the chick starter with warm water. Or you could ferment it for more nutrients, which a chick with issues could use.

If your chick doesn't want to eat the moistened feed, try crumbled tofu. But try to get it to eat something in addition to the worms.

Another thing - if your chick has abnormalities on the outside, it may also have them on the inside. Poultry Nutri-drench, a vitamin supplement just for chickens that is absorbed directly into the blood stream can help a "behind" chick get started on the right track.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi.

I basically second @azygous . Grit was my first thought.

I would offer some boiled smashed egg. It has nutrients the mealworms are missing. And until picking up nutri drench would give electrolytes. Recipe is 1/2 teaspoon each salt and baking soda, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 2 cups warm water. serve full strength. White sugar can be substituted. And if you have it, add a few drops of Poly Vi Sol baby vitamins with NO iron. Not all baby vitamins have the B's which is the important part.

Also, maybe put some shiny stiff in there for the chick to peck at and get him interested. Having his little friend probably will help.

Good luck!

 

[Pixijayne]

Hi All ...

Thank you for the insightful and helpful replies ....

I have a shallow container with dirt in it hopefully that will be adding some grit.

The little one did love the sugar water made with brown sugar .. I dont have bicarb atm.

I had a shocking experience this morning I have been feeding it hard boil egg and of course, the one egg has lasted a few feedings. This morning when I was adding it to the platter of offerings, I dropped a few drops of sugar water on it and it started to wriggle my chick got so excited ran right over and started attacking the lump of wriggling egg yoke - yep it had acquired some fly maggots - will these hurt the baby, they are not gonna eat a hole right through it are they ?!?!?!

The little one because of its one eye pecks short most of the time ... and because of its dikie foot them almost falls over with loss of balance. ...

Ill make up that vita recipe today ...

I have some pics on my phone I'll see if the upload system gods will be kind for me today.

 

[Pixijayne]

This is the eye that is giving it trouble, I am wiping it with sterile water and I did apply some eye antibiotic but I have stopped that for now.

Here is a shot of the foot, can you see all the extra toes ... it has 2 thumbs.

The closest outside toe was completely folded under its foot, its now by the side of the other toe - just wish it was a little more splayed apart, offering a little more balance.

 

[Pixijayne]

 

[Pixijayne]