month old chick -- help us

[CountryBumpkinsofLumpkin]

We've had 26 chicks since they were 2 days old. They just turned a month old on Tuesday. My wife found one of the New Hampshire Reds on her side.

1. We've placed her in a 'hospital' crate with food and water
2. she peeps when we pick her up, but doesn't squeal in pain when we poke around
3. she cannot stand on her feet, and falls over to one side
4. we think she was trampled on. the chicks get into a frenzy when we check their water and food.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

 

[ivan3]

Place her in a shoebox with bedding around her so she stays `upright'. Make sure she is getting water (use a dropper to carefully/i] drip fluid along side of beak. Main thing is to keep hydrated and fed (if it is injury it might resolve pretty quickly). You could try mealworms and a little sugar in the water. Also, if you can pick up some pedialyte (electrolytes) and a bottle of polyvisol enfamil (without iron) vitamins (three drops a day for a week), they'll probably come in handy later (good to have on hand).

Good luck!

 

[threehorses]

Could you also tell us some other information? The more information we have, the better we can help you.

A good list of questions that help are in the second sticky in this forum. If you could answer those into here it would really help us be more specific.

In the mean time, are they eating growing crumbles right now primarily? I see they're kept on nice clean shavings, she looks pretty well feathered. I can't tell her weight - does she feel light or thin to you?

Any signs of parasites (lice or mites) on any of the babies?

Do you have other birds nearby at all? Were these from your stock or hatchery? Can the baby bend her legs, or does she stick either of them straight out?

No access to wet or soured feed? No diarrhea? No solid feeds yet other than crumbles, yogurt, boiled egg, etc?

When you give her the stuff ivan recommended, I'd also dampen a little bit of feed and add a 1/4th teaspoon of plain yogurt. You can even give her a little boiled egg mashed with water (with a little of the yogurt) and give that to her on the end of a spoon. Add a little honey or sugar or karo syrup for some energy. If you make it thin, she can drink it and still get both nutrition and hydration. That could help her. The vitamins seem like they're going to be important. Vitamin deficiency isn't yet ruled out. I'd make sure she has some food in her before the vitamins, even if it's the boiled egg broth at least.

All of your other babies: you will want to pick them up, rule out light babies, rule out parasites, make sure they're all of really good weight. Sometimes at this age the more vigorous babies will keep the meeker babies from getting enough food often enough. Sometimes two feeders help. Other times it takes two brooders, putting the smaller one sin the second to allow them to catch up. So check them carefully, particularly their droppings. They should be normal droppings mostly with a few cecal droppings (like melted chocolate) mixed in here and there. They shouldn't be mucus in texture, shouldn't have the whites mixed in a slimey way with the feces, etc. There shouldn't be rusty color nor red bits usually.

All of the babies could and should get the yogurt, too. 1 tablespoon should give 6 babies a good dosage of living bacteria to help them in case this is something digestive. Do that weekly from week one to eight to help them thrive and feather better.

Are you feeding medicated feed, by the way? With amprolium, not BMD?

I look forward to your reply.

 

[purpletree23]

Why do the chicks get in a frenzy when you check their water and food? Do they have access to feed and water 24 hours a day????????????

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
Good question, though mine to it even if they have food and water available. They try to take the skin off of my hand because they are expecting treats (like yogurt).