My order from Meyer finally arrived this morning, three days after being shipped. (I only live five hours from the hatchery!) Of the 25 chicks, all are doing fine except for one buff orpington chick. That one is having trouble standing up and keeps flopping over. I dipped her beak in the water and she drank, and started to chirp a little, but she still couldn't stand up. I held her for a half hour, close to my chest, to keep her warm and to keep the other chicks in the brooder from stomping on her, but I finally had to come inside to give my human baby breakfast. What should I do to help this little chick? I put out sugar water, and she took several sips while I held her, but she couldn't walk to the water on her own. I left her under the heat lamp and now I'm feeling incredibly guilty and worried. Any tips/suggestions would be helpful. Should I bring her inside and set up a chickie hospital with a separate heat lamp?
If your brooder is not close by, I would take the sickly baby and a healthy baby inside the house where you can keep a close eye on it. I have one too that I have to force feed food and water about every 2-3 hours. I know not everyone has time to do that but if you want it to survive just taking special care of it when you can will improve its odds. I give mine water with vits and electrolytes and diluted food with a syringe. She is puny and never eats on her own but I am on day 4 with her and she is still with me. Hope this helps and best of luck with her.
Thanks for the advice. I read it and went outside with the plan to take the sick one into the house, with a friend for company. But then all the chicks were running around, eating and drinking and doing fine. So I left them alone. However, sad news...I ran a few errands and when I came home this afternoon, one buff orpington chick was dead. It was a BO chick that was having problems originally this morning, so it is likely the same one. I don't know why they were all running around and doing fine, after the first scare, and then one died after all. Maybe it was a different one. I can't tell them apart. So sad...poor little chick.
