Looks Dead Every Morning

[Greendecember]

I have one chick who I have "revived" several times since she came home.
When i bought her she was in a tub of mixed strait run "heavies" She is marked like a Brown Leghorn or a Welsummer. She is the size of the Bantams though.
When we got home she looked really weak but seemed to come back after a while in the brooder. Wednesday morning I found her in the feed dish. She looked dead. I picked her up and she wiggled. So I held her to the light for a while and after about 3 hours she was up and running with the other chicks.
Later in the day I separated out the bantams and put her with them. They seem to have grown a little but she doesn't. She eats and drinks. Her poos look fine. During the day she looks happy and healthy.
This morning I found her wet and looking dead next to the water dish. I dried her off and heated her up again. Same MO. She does the weak standing sleep thing then I bet in a few hours she will be fine again.

Am I going to have to warm her up every morning? Anyone else had this happen? Ever heard of a heavy sleeping chick? I mean I can seriously not rouse her each time I think she is dead till I get her under the heat lamp and move her around alot. the other chicks you just touch or get near when they are asleep and they take off like they have been shot at and missed.

Should I make her a private brooder? The others don't seem to pick on her.

Thanks in advance

 

[LynneP]

Sometimes a chick 'fails to thrive' and occasionally you may get a blind one. Keep observing, spend as much time with the brooder as possible. No signs of runny eyes or beak?

 

[calicokat]

We keep marbles in our waterer for the first couple of weeks to prevent sleepy chicks from falling in and getting wet or drowned. Might try that too.

 

[Greendecember]

Quote:
Nope no runny anything. Other than these episodes of deep sleep and she doesn't appear to be growing you would not even know she were ill. (I say she loosely and in wishful thinking LOL) It is bizarre.

I don't think she is blind either. It is only when she is looking dead she does not react to her environment.

She is up and running with the rest of the flock in her brooder now as I predicted. I predict I will find her looking near dead looking in the morning again. Really the closest thing I can relate it to is narcolepsy or a coma.

I hate making "God Calls" I'm always afraid I gave up on them too soon. I have not had to cull a chick before. This is only my second set.

Do you let yours just die naturally or is there a humane way to put down a chick?

 

[Greendecember]

Quote:
I saw the marble thing on another thread this am. Sounds like an awesome plan. I plan to go get some when I go out again.

 

[Judy]

Lots of humane ways, anything quick, for a young chick a sharp pair of scissors to cut the neck will do, for example.

Personally I'd leave her with the bantams and let her do her thing. Your choice, though. Something is wrong, certainly, and many would cull.

Sorry this is happening to you.

I wouldn't separate her if I could avoid it. They do so much better having others around. Sounds like she needs the stimulation, anyway!

I'll call her female, too, to send you good luck....

 

[Buugette]

Try giving her some Poly-vi-sol (without iron) baby vitamins... We had a very small silkie who seemed to be failing to thrive. We brought him back several times. We just babied him for a few weeks, giving him vitamins, scrambled eggs, yogurt, and extra attention. He remained about half the size of his siblings... now you can't tell him apart from the others... he caught right up and is strong and happy. His name is Tiny Tim... he was so small... but now we should drop the Tiny part.

I understand sometimes you do have to cull, but if you have the time and the desire... a little extra care never hurts.

Best of luck.

Diana

 

[Greendecember]

Quote:
Culling goats and dogs is so much simpler only in that it is a shot. It seems every way to cull a bird is so barbaric. NOT judging how anyone does their culling mind you. I'm just still new to the bird scene.

I'm going to leave her with the little ones and hope she pulls out of it. She is so alive and "normal" the rest of the time. I'm trying to help her without getting too attached JUSt in case she doesn't make it. It is really hard though

 

[Greendecember]

Quote:
I'm going to give her every chance I can.

Is Poly-vi-sol a human baby vitamin or something I get at the feed store?

On the topic of yogurt. I was reading where it is bad for chickens but then I see a lot of people swear by it. Is it another one of those 2 camps of opinions and both are right kinda thing?

 

[Greendecember]

The little girl didn't make it. I went in to the nursery to check on her and Baldy (a chick that has no back feathers. Feed store gave her to me to try to save)Neither of them were doing so well. I picked up the Narcoleptic Chick (as we started to call her) and she took her last breath. There was no bringing her back this time. I didn't even try. She had been through enough in her short little life.

I knew going in everyone would not live.

Still sad to loose a baby.