Little one not progressing…

[PolloGal]

Hi. Hatched some poults 3 days ago…black Spanish. One of the 3 is still very small and not as energetic and loses his balance easy..very unsteady. I have been keeping a close eye on it since I noticed this yesterday and felt I needed to separate him. I put a piece of hardware cloth (safely) in the small brooder box so he is still ‘with’ the others. I tried to put one of the others with him (there are 6 Narragansetts too), but the other one steps on him and knocks him over…which is easy to do. He isn’t happy…keeps ‘chirping’, moving his mouth…but no sound comes out. I have been giving them all vitamin/electrolyte water and dipping his beak (specifically) every 4 hours since yesterday because I just could tell something was up. I gave him a ‘sip’ or two of water with Nutri drench in it today too. UGH…how can I NOT lose this little one? What else can I do? I am planning on getting up every 1.5 to 2 hours to make sure he drinks and eats something…but that just hasn’t worked the last 2 times this happened. Really need some help.

 

[casportpony]

have you purchased a food scale yet?

 

[casportpony]

@PolloGal, check out my thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/poults-of-2023.1583179/
There you can see how helpful weighing poults is.

 

[PolloGal]

@PolloGal, check out my thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/poults-of-2023.1583179/
There you can see how helpful weighing poults is.

Yes…I have a food scale. But I could see this little one was not ‘growing’ the same as the others. I noticed that yesterday and began paying more attention to him for food/water, but it doesn’t seem to have helped.

 

[PolloGal]

Yes…I have a food scale. But I could see this little one was not ‘growing’ the same as the others. I noticed that yesterday and began paying more attention to him for food/water, but it doesn’t seem to have helped.

What can I give it to make sure it eats? It is hard to get it to want the mash. Raw egg yolk? Plain Greek yogurt?

 

[casportpony]

Yes…I have a food scale. But I could see this little one was not ‘growing’ the same as the others. I noticed that yesterday and began paying more attention to him for food/water, but it doesn’t seem to have helped.

How much does it weigh right now?

 

[PolloGal]

I thought may be too hot…brooder is 92-93, and that’s why the beak open/closing. So I am giving him water often and have cooled the brooder to about 89. Could too much heat be the issue?

 

[casportpony]

I thought may be too hot…brooder is 92-93, and that’s why the beak open/closing. So I am giving him water often and have cooled the brooder to about 89. Could too much heat be the issue?

When it's too hot, they pant. When the beak is opening and closing, it usually means they have aspirated water, have a respiratory infection, or, worse case, they are dying.

A chick that's too hot looks like this:
https://fb.watch/l3npMDe_U9/

 

[PolloGal]

When it's too hot, they pant. When the beak is opening and closing, it usually means they have aspirated water, have a respiratory infection, or, worse case, they are dying.

A chick that's too hot looks like this:
https://fb.watch/l3npMDe_U9/

UGH..I hate all of those choices. I haven’t syringe fed…so aspiration is probably not it. I just dip the beak..or rather bring a small lid of water up to his beak. I thought maybe he was trying to get ‘air’. He has so much energy tho. This has all been just so sad. Well…I won’t give up trying to help him recover so hello sleepless nights. :-(

 

[PolloGal]

I have vet RX. Do you think giving that might help?
I just spent some time with him. When I gently blow towards his beak it seems to relieve the open/closing of his beak a bit...like he isn’t getting enough air. UGH