Lethargic chick

[Kaitie09]

we just picked up 3, 2 day old chicks yesterday for our broody. Well, she did not accept them so we put them under a heat lamp last night. This morning everything was fine, they were all running around and peeping fine. Just went in to check on them about an hour ago, and the little black one is very lethargic. He/she is just laying there and when you pick her up, she just lays there and closes her eyes. We gave her a little sugar water that she was drinking, and we moved them away from the heat lamp a little more in case that was the problem. She will stand on her own, but she will stand there with her eyes closed and her head and wings dropped. Her breathing is slower than the others too. She hasn't peeped at all since this morning and separates herself from the other two. She will peck at some things, and she took off when she got scared, but besides that she just either lays or stands in one spot, or just walks around very slowly.

 

[hokankai]

That doesn't sound too good

. I've had two pass away from illness, and I could always tell they were on their way out when they started lagging behind, stood with their eyes closed, and were generally lethargic. Sometimes they just don't make it. You can try giving it some poly vi sol w/o iron and some scrambled egg. Keep it warm, and really that's all you can do.

 

[Kaitie09]

I have a feeling she is going too, it just sucks to watch it happening. I have had about 40 chicks in 8 years and have never lost one, so I really don't know major signs when something is wrong. Her poo has been fine all day, she is just lethargic.

 

[hokankai]

Yup, same with mine. Everything was normal except for lethargy and kind of being "spacy". She stopped feathering out too. I handled her last night and found her this morning away from mama and the nest in a sleeping position, I think she knew she wasn't going to make it. She had the worst symptoms at one point, but was sounding fine yesterday. I guess it just took all of her energy

Good luck on your baby. Rest, food, water, heat, and vitamins might be all she needs. I would stress them out as little as possible.

 

[hokankai]

How is your chickie doing?

 

[Kaitie09]

She passed away this morning. The other two are doing fine and are healthy though, so I'm pretty positive it was not a disease as they had been together since they were born and she was the only one showing symptoms.

 

[hokankai]

I'm sorry

. Definitely keep an eye on the other chicks, as some illnesses take a week to incubate. But at that young sometimes they just don't make it for whatever reason.

Good luck with your other chicks!

 

[goatmezchicks]

I know this is an old post, but did the other chcicks make it?

 

[jmccrohan]

I had a chick that started fine and then was just standing there, not eating or drinking. She wouldn’t lay down but would roam around the brooder. I brought her into the main part of the house and gave her some electrolytes and water from a dropper and tried returning her to the other chicks. She was down there for 2 hours but still wouldn’t lay!

I brought her back up and took a bowl I never use and stuffed it with one of my kids old scarfs. Then I put a fuzzy heating pad over her (like momma) and pressed gently on the top so she laid down. She slept for over an hour and suddenly started chirping like crazy! I had just made egg salad for lunch and tried feeding her some yolk and she took it!!! This is the first thing she has eaten in almost 2 days!!

She never had pasty butt but is on the small side. I am going to keep her up here with her new fake “momma” until she is eating and drinking more and She makes it!

I am so relieved and excited that I was able to get her to be better than she was! I tried researching SO much but no one had an answer so I just went to work! I’ll update in a few days!

 

[Diane2018]

I am a first time chick mom I bought 6 day RIR from TS. Today it has been 5 days and I have one that is not doing well spends time by herself when I check on them making sure she is eating and drinking she had pasty butt and I cleaned her all up (the other 5 are doing very well) I fed them some cooked egg yolk they loved it want to make sure I am doing everything possible to get her strong and thriving but not sure if it’s working