Hi, we just added three chicks to our home. One is just standing there, doing nothing while the other two eat and walk around. I am worried about her. She seems to be in good health, but she doesn't drink or eat. It has been about two and a half hours. Any suggestions?
It is important for her to be drinking. Did you dip her beak in the water when you first put her in the brooder? This usually helps them find out where the water is. If I have a chick who does this, I usually mix warm water with a little sugar and then scoop up a little in a teaspoon and dip the chick's beak in it. Most chicks will drink this. If you have electrolytes, try these as well, but don't add too much! More is not better here.
I have also used hard boiled egg yolks to temp the chick to eat. Most chicks will sleep a lot at first, but she needs be drinking and eating. A lot of my chicks did stand for the first few days instead of lying down, so this isn't unusual behavior. Keep us posted!
I had 3 chicks that I had to nurse cause they just didnt catch on. Used an eye dropper to get water into them, or Pedialyte.
Also you can shake up an egg with some milk and feed it to them.
