Is my baby chick sick?

[Lunafarmchickens]

I've raised babies for years now, and last year I unfortunately was sold a sick batch of chicks from tractor supply that all died. That makes me paranoid this year... I have one little black bantam who is always lying down while the others are up and running around. Her breathing is normal, and she's drinking water but she doesn't eat often and she is much lighter in weight than the others. She isn't struggling to move or acting sickly other than always lying down. I got her to eat a bit of hard boiled egg but she still doesn't get up much. Any suggestions?

 

[azygous]

Age of this chick? How long have you had it?

Have you seen this chick drink? How about poop?

Heat source? Does the chick hog the heat?

Check for pasty butt? Crop?

What are you feeding including anything other than chick feed?

 

[Lunafarmchickens]

Age of this chick? How long have you had it?

Have you seen this chick drink? How about poop?

Heat source? Does the chick hog the heat?

Check for pasty butt? Crop?

What are you feeding including anything other than chick feed?

Ive had this chick for 5 days, i'd estimate that shes a little over a week old. I have seen her drink, she poops normally, she doesnt have pasty butt. She doesnt hog the heat infact she usually stays in the coolest corner of the brooder, I only feed them chick food and hard boiled egg yolk.

 

[Mtnboomer]

It could be just a weak bird. Weak in confidence not necessarily physically. My last batch of chicks had one acting exactly like what you describe. From day one she was shy and standoffish and spent much of her time laying around. She was the last to eat and last to drink.
She is now 5 mos old and acts exactly the same. She is completely healthy but she is a loner and even refuses to go in the coop at night. I have to find her every night and put her to bed. In the morning she is on the roost and flies down like all the others. I have found her in a nesting box, followed by an egg (assumed to be hers).
Not ruling out an illness, but it could just be her personality.

 

[Lunafarmchickens]

It could be just a weak bird. Weak in confidence not necessarily physically. My last batch of chicks had one acting exactly like what you describe. From day one she was shy and standoffish and spent much of her time laying around. She was the last to eat and last to drink.
She is now 5 mos old and acts exactly the same. She is completely healthy but she is a loner and even refuses to go in the coop at night. I have to find her every night and put her to bed. In the morning she is on the roost and flies down like all the others. I have found her in a nesting box, followed by an egg (assumed to be hers).
Not ruling out an illness, but it could just be her personality.

im hoping thats all it is

 

[azygous]

It wouldn't hurt to continue to feed this chick special high protein foods. It may just need more nutrients to get it launched. Do you have Poultry Nutri-drench? If not, it's worth the price to give this special formula to this chick. If this chick isn't processing its nutrients properly, the Nutri-drench gets directly into the blood stream and gives the chick a real boost. You might see a difference in it.

My experience with shy, stand-offish chicks and chickens is that much of the time they are that way because they are weak due to not having the assertiveness to compete at the feeder, and they eventually become weak due to starvation. It's a vicious circle. Shyness begets lack of competitiveness and that begets hunger, and that begets weakness and being even less able to be competitive. I interrupt this cycle by feeding tofu, or boiled egg, yogurt, etc. They get strong and then they learn to be competitive to get what they need to eat.