Need Help 8 week old chick won't eat- We are beginners

[Luv2bemama]

I need some advice from more experienced chicken folk. My children and I got 12- 8 week old chicks on Saturday. We have one little girl who is so small. She is a Barred Rock. She was small but doing well until today. She has stopped eating and seems week. I have seperated her out from the rest of the birds. The birds all have a coop and large fenced area. I have her fenced in within the fence with her own food and water and a dog house for shelter. The man I go them from suggested I give her yogurt to spark her appetite. I mixed the yogurt in with her chick starter feed and she will not touch it. I just syringed some gently into her mouth and she ate it well. He went on to say sometimes they just don't make it. While I realize this is true, I want to do everything possible to help her chances of survival. I have four children and this particular hen is my 5 y/o son's. I do not want him to learn harsh realities in his first week with our chickens if I can help it. What if anything can I do to help "ChickenBob" regain her strength?

Thanks in advance,

Debi in FL

 

[Chicken Fruit]

Domesticated chickens are not from a diverse genetic makeup, some times they just fail to thrive- food or not.

Apart from what you're doing, try some sugar water, or diluted gatorade, some grapes (for a snack, just to perk her up), and keep her warm.

Death is death, its way over rated- in any species. She'll likely pull through, chickens survive even when it seems impossible for them to.

Oh, and i'd put her in a cage in the house so she's with you, that might help her moral and will to survive.

 

[LynneP]

I agree, and sometimes if you mix the starter crumbles with a little water and yogurt, the consistency is easier for them to swallow.

Are there vitamins in their water?

Good luck with baby...

 

[johnkang]

Quote:
checkout this site for help http://chickenhelp.webs.com/

 

[LynneP]

How is she doing?

 

[Luv2bemama]

I think she is looking stronger today. She would not eat at all yesterday so I syringe fed her and gace her water by syring too. Today she is pecking feed from the ground and looking a bit better.She is drinking from the waterer too.