is the chick gonna survive?

[newchickowner]

I have aquired 17 chickens and have never owned any before in my life, so I have no idea what to expect or do in this situation. I am an avid animal lover and can't stand to see anything suffer and I want to help but I don't know if there is anything I can do.

Here's what has happened so far:

I went on vacation and when I got back, my boyfriend didn't collect eggs daily like I was and five of my hens were sitting on eggs. Not knowing how long they'd been like that and not wanting to toss half developed chicks I moved them to a seperate coop and let them do their thing. So far I have 7 cute, fuzzy chicks running around in that coop. However, I've had three deaths that I think were premature hatchings caused by the mothers stepping on the eggs and breaking them too soon. My last chick, that I believe was hatched by this means, I found on the ground outside the nesting box this morning. He was still alive but not very warm. Not knowing what to do I layed him back with a hen and she accepted him and has been looking after him. He's dry now, but very weak and doesn't open his eyes much and doesn't move much, but kicks and flops around enough to make me afraid to dispose (I can't stand to even say that) of him. Should I have my boyfriend do it, or let nature take it's course?

 

[mychickensareidiots]

Hi, i'm definatley not a vet, but i would suggest letting nature take its course. if you want to try and save it, the best thing to try and do is get it under a heat lamp, get it some water, and maybe a little handful of chick starter feed. make sure it has somewhere soft to lay down in, and i would try and stay with it. try and get it to drink some water. i would expect it hasnt had much to drink. you could also give the vets office a call, if you have one you know of nearby. i personally know a vet, so if you would like me to, i'll call her and see if she knows anything. just let me know, i'm glad to help.

 

[newchickowner]

Sure I'd love to hear what your vet has to say on the subject! I'm new to my area and no, I haven't sought out a vet yet, though I will now.

thanks!

 

[newchickowner]

ok, here's an update:

I took the chick at it did drink a few drops of water from a dropper and I have since put it under a lamp. He doesn't have any lacerations or anything, though his belly is very soft. Is that the internal yolk sac that hasn't absorbed yet that I've read about? He does have a soft, red spot where the ambilical cord??? was attached. Since I brought him inside, he can pick his head up, though unsteady and I noticed him trying to cheep, he did manage a few, but they were fairly weak sounding. Am I right to think that's a good sign? And I'm not sure how to make sure he's warm enough. He's in a wicker basket with a soft towel under him and a light above, though not in the basket. I don't have a thermometer, just my hand, how do I know if it's too warm? or cold? Do I just touch him to see?

 

[silkiechicken]

Good luck with the chick. You can always put it back under the hen to let nature take it's course. The mother hen often knows when something is wrong before you do so she may have kicked it out. As for the red spot, that is the naval that is starting to heal up. Just judge by how the chick acts if the light is too hot or cold. Cold the chick will not peep much, too hot it will try to get away. Best get a box and put the towel in it there and let it move towards or away from the light to regulate it's own temp. I wouldn't try to feed anything to it yet. It can live 3 days without food.

 

[newchickowner]

Thanks, I really appreciate the advise! I need all the help I can get. I want to do the right thing. I have a donkey that I saved from a bad owner and bottle fed since she was three days old, two dogs I saved, these chickens and I'm raising my sister's three children!!! I can't help myself when it comes to critters in need. If I can help it, I will do whatever it takes!

 

[mychickensareidiots]

OK, so, my friend(the vet) told me pretty much what i told you. As far as temperature goes, it needs to be between 92 and 95 degrees fahrenheit. My friend said a soft belly is normal so you do not need to worry. She said that a baby chick will become more stable within a few days. She said they will begin eating when they are 1 to 2 days old. Something she said was very important, is a clean area. Newly hatched chicks are very easily infected. She also said that medicated feed does help with infection or the bird getting sick. She said that it is very important for you to check on the bird every 5 or 10 minutes and make sure that it is comfortable with the temperature. If it is directly under the lamp, it is too cold, and if it has moved to the outside of the heat lamp area(closer to the edge of the basket), it is too hot. Other than that, she said that there is not much you can do. Because she can not see the chick, she can not help more. I hope this has helped you some. Good luck and let me know how it turns out.

 

[newchickowner]

Thanks so much!

 

[mychickensareidiots]

Anytime, I just hope the little fella will make it. Let me know, i'm curious.

 

[newchickowner]

update:

Unfortunately the little fellow didn't make it. This has been a bitter sweet experience for me, I do have 7 healthy, cute chicks, but 4 deaths. That's hard for me to swallow.

Thanks again for all the advise, I'm sure I'll be asking for more later since I've never dealt with Chickens before.