Is this normal, or something to worry about?

[DaniCalifornia]

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie here. A week ago I bought 3 Gold Laced Wyandotte chicks just over a week old. One has been a lot less active than the other 2. She still eats and drinks, but is laying down for the majority of the day. I see a noticeable difference in size in the other 2 chicks from when I first purchased them, but she seems like she hasn't grown much. I even tried letting them out on the grass in the yard to explore a while, and she would just lay down. She seems to have normal poops, and will get up if I reach my hand in there or if one of the other chicks bumps her, but then will lay down after a few steps. She even eats laying down sometimes.

Any suggestions or advice? Of course it has to be the chic my 3 year old daughter picked out. I would hate for something to happen to her. Thanks in advance!

 

[lazy gardener]

Some birds are simply failure to thrive. That sounds like what you have going on here. You might try getting some Poultry Nutri-Drench into her. But honestly, it sounds like you are fighting a loosing battle.

 

[DaniCalifornia]

Oh no I really hope she makes it. I've tried giving some finely chopped egg. I guess I just have to wait and see what happens.

Has anyone had a chick that overcame this?

 

[azygous]

Yes, and no. I had a Silver Laced Wyandotte chick that was like your chick. It was lethargic and under size. It was going downhill, not growing and losing what appetite it had.

I thought of tofu, a food that's very similar to chick food but in a pre-digested form. I crumbled up some and sprinkled Nutri-drench over the top and let all the chicks eat it. The other chicks stimulated the weak chick to begin eating it, and soon it perked up and began to grow.

It was always under size though, and it met an early death when it got out through a large mesh fence and was snapped up by a predator. (This latter didn't happen on my watch.)

This is usually what happens, though, to chicks that fail to thrive. Even if they don't die during the first couple weeks, they are forever at a disadvantage and almost never live beyond the first year.

 

[lazy gardener]

Point well made about the eventual outcome for failure to thrive chicks. Even if they get extra care and survive the early months, they are never stellar flock members.

 

[DaniCalifornia]

Thank you for replying. I appreciate the insight. I will just have to wait and see what happens I guess. In the meantime I think I might pick up one more chick just in case. I don't want my daughter to be devastated and left without a chick of her own. This little chick is eating and drinking on her own, and is slightly more active every day. I hope the little one makes it