Identify this chick and pecking at air questions

[Jillerbeth]

HI. I received this little chick from a mail order hatchery and I do not know what kind the little chick is. Not sure if it is one I ordered(black Australorp, Ameraucana,black/red stars +ruled out the leghorns, RIR, Wyandotte) or the free one they send. Also, it is about 1/2 the size of all the other chicks. It has been unable to eat or drink by itself since it arrived. It pecks at the air and will peck near the food/water but not reaching it. I finally have it eating through a syringe and it is perking up. Wondering if it could be blind? If anyone has a guess at the breed and advice on feeding, I would be so thrilled. Thanks so much.

 

[gander007]

Looks more like a French Marans chick ,,,,,,,

 

[Farmer Viola]

Not a French Marans, it would have feathered legs..

could be black australorp or black star?

have you checked the vent/butt for pasty butt?
I would give electrolytes/probiotics (like sav-a-chick brand, or you can also make homemade) in the water to help give it extra energy...
I would give organic ACV in the water if there is pasty butt..
I would not force it to eat, just drink. I would mix up some gro gel B+ if you have it..
how many days old?

on blindness/vision - if you wave your hand over it's head, does it flinch or respond?

 

[Jillerbeth]

Vent is clear. I'm giving electrolytes and also mashed hard boiled yolks softened with electrolyte water. She is taking those off the syringe once it starts to drip onto beak tip. Her ability to find food seems her problem. She hatched Sat night but didn't arrive to me til Wed afternoon. She is very tiny, has been pecking into the air continuously since arrival until last night when she was too weak. After all night feedings she is walking around and pecking the air. She starts pecking if she hears the others eating but misses the food. She does not flinch at all or act like she sees me. She responds to sound, flinches at loud noises,moves when you touch her. Thought maybe She is blind because she trips often and hasn't successfully found food or water. I will continue feeding all hours as needed. I have softened organic chick starter, the yolk, dry starter all available and she is eating the solid food willingly when offered to her directly this afternoon.
I have her in a separate brooder with a calm barred rock chick for company. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Farmer Viola]

Sounds like you are doing everything you can for her and more!
if she does not flinch at all, you may be right about the blindness... glad you gave her a friend too.
I am not sure about why she would peck the air, maybe relating to not hearing/searching for something above her. when they are small they like to feel their mother's feathers press down on them and they will nuzzle upward into her.
could also be something neurological? if she cannot find food on her own, her chances long-term are not good sad to say
nutridrench (pure undiluted) by beak is something you can give in the case of vitamin deficiency...
honey in water can keep her going for days without food.

 

[Jillerbeth]

Yep, gave the Nutridrench. Also mixed a bit organic honey with water last night...may have been what helped her recover. If she is blind, we will figure out a safe space to build her...maybe she can live with the one hobble legged chick someone gave me. I will have a half way house for "special" chickens.

 

[lazy gardener]

If you want to put the effort and expense into her, I agree with PP that Nutri-drench would be a great starting place. It's a wonderful product to have on hand. An other product available at pet stores is Kay-T baby bird hand feeding formula. You mix it up with hot water like a gruel, and feed by syringe. It's loaded with nutrient and very easy for the baby to eat. You may get her to the point where she will eat directly from a spoon with some training. No, I'm not associated with either of these companies in any way.

 

[aart]

Could be a bantam....reminds me of jungle fowl with those long legs.
Good Luck...poor chickie...hope you keep us posted on how it's doing.

 

[Jillerbeth]

Here are some photos from just now of little Keller and her best buddy the Barred Rock chick. She is stronger today and is mastering drinking from her water bowl and tasting the "gruel" in a shallow pan. I am still offering syringe feedings. Pretty sure she is blind...she still pecks the air and misses the food most of the time. She starts pecking when she hears the other chick eating and if she by chance gets a bit of food she will continue to peck that area. She is learning where the water is but still bumps into it every time then slides her beak down until it reaches the water. She is not responding to us waving our hands near her, bumps into the brooder walls and misses the food, which really leads me to be sure she is at least partially blind. I love watching Keller follow the peeping of the other chick to get around the cage. The other chick is really sweet with her, unlike most chick siblings. She is quite a bit smaller than all the other chicks, wonder if she will catch up. She appears most like a Black Star to me. I ordered two and can only identify one other and that chick is much larger and acting fine. I will update again when she has progressed again. Hoping she continues to improve as we are all falling in love with little tiny Keller and fear losing her. Thanks everyone for your advice and well wishes for a special chick. My kids want to make a Handicap Chicken Crossing sign for her.