My chickie nearly drown! Now won't eat!

[loralei]

I'm new to chickens and didn't know to put marbles in the drinker so my girls wouldn't drown. Thanks to annek I will do that in the future but now after a near drowning experience one of my little chickies wont eat. I've been giving her a pedialite/honey mixture via eyedropper for the past 4 days which she happily accepts but she wont eat on her own. She also chirps incesantly. Is this a sign of distress? I have her separated from the others and have offered her everything I can think of.
Please advise.

 

[annek]

If she is chirping loud there is something wrong. Is she warm enough/too hot? Do you have her isolated? If so, try putting a stuffed animal in with her or another chick for company. How old is she? How is her poop? What happened when she almost drowned? Did she get chilled? Is she running around? Trying to eat?

 

[ZZsBabiez]

I'm no expert, but I've hand fed a few.. I'm learning to back off and leave them alone.
If it were me, I'd put the chick back.. you inadvertently taught that chick how to eat, now it only knows when it cries you bring it food.. It probably doesn't realize it's supposed to look for food on it's own. I think I've done that to a couple of chicks! The other chicks will help it to learn to eat again.. You might have to continue hand feeding to supplement here and there, to keep it quiet, but it will get it.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Sounds right to me.

 

[loralei]

I had Durvet electrolytes and vitamins in the water so she didn't dry "fluffy". Her feathers are all matted down. I didn't want to stress her out by attempting to wash her.

She was shipped saturday, I received her monday and that is when the incident occured. Besides keeping the room at 90 degrees I put a heating pad under her pine shavings so she's plenty warm and she can move away from it if she gets too warm. Her droppings seem normal but there's not much since she's not eating. She's too small and weak at this point to put her back in with the others. I'll put a stuffed toy in there with her tonight and try putting her in with the others breifly with supervision in the morning.

Thanks for your suggestions!

 

[enola]

She needs a light suspended above her for warmth. She does not have enough body mass to keep herself warm enough.

90 degrees is not warm enough for her. When she is warm enough she will stop chirping.

 

[annek]

If she is that weak and the room is 90 I don't know if she needs the heating pad. Maybe instead try what some others have done like heating a rock or a bag of rice in a sock. That way she can snuggle if she wants. Getting them too hot if she is too weak to get away will dehydrate her. Does she have a light over her? Maybe a buddy for her, I personally would keep her separate. The other chicks might very well peck her to death and if they start and you don't remove her right away then in her condition it would be too late. It won't hurt to keep her apart for a few days. You can put a screen in the brooder to separate her but still allow them to see eachother if you want.

I am not an expert so use your common sense on this, this is only what I personally would do. You will make the right decision since you are the one there and observing her actions. Considering she isn't fluffy though I wonder if she is going to be a little colder than other chicks. Anyway, good luck and let us know how she does.

 

[LilbitChicken]

I don't know what to add....all are great responses.

I hope your chick makes it.

 

[threehorses]

Can you take the smallest chick out of the other group and put it with this one? Seeing another baby eat is a wonderful way to get this one to eat.

I'd follow the others' advice about the heat.

I think you'll be safe putting another one or two in with her. Just watch and see who's the least aggressive.

 

[NancyDz]

Yea I really think she needs a light over her too... especially if she is weak , she doesnt need to use her energy trying to keep warm. My day olds love it to be 95 and I keep them at that in part of their brooder for the first week. Did you dip her beak and put food on the floor in the brooder? I find that they do better if its sprinkled on the floor the first few days before using a feeder as the seem to naturally peck the floor. You could try to put one chick in with her instead of all of them, they seem to do better with a buddy and it may give her incentive to eat and follow it around. One chick is less likely to do much damage than a few would if they pick on it.



Good luck

Nancy