New chicks arrived today, one DOA, one in BAD shape. Looking for help to save this one.

[Pasadenachicken]

I ordered 12 chicks, 1 died in transit, 1 looked really bad when I opened the box. The dead one looked trampled and it had peck marks on its head. The other one also seemed to be trampled, he was wedged up against the side of the box and was on its side. The other 10 seem good, vibrant, eating, drinking, pooping.

I immediately dipped their beaks in sugar water and the trampled one has perked up slightly.

I put them in the brooder and it would not eat or drink like the others. It also did not look like it was pooping. I picked it up and it looked like its little butt had matted fuzz on it. I wiped it with a warm wet cloth and then put it in about an inch of warm water. It was happy to sit there and the caked on poop came off and it pooped a bunch after that. Maybe that was the issue, but it still won't eat. I have been giving it droppers full of sugar water every so often. It drinks readily and seems to enjoy being held and fed from a dropper.

Over the past 5 hours it has perked up some and even cheeps loudly at times but it will not eat. I'm worried that it will die if I don't get some food in it. I did isolate it in a little cardboard box under the heat lamp and it has a tiny thing of sugar water, grow gel and some starter feed. It doesn't stand up fully but is no longer on its side. It seems really weak. I was wondering if there is something liquid I should dropper into the side of its beak to give it some energy.

Any help is certainly appreciated.

Thanks, and hopefully someone will have some suggestions. Maybe I should just leave it alone? Keep giving it water? I just feel bad for it.

 

[klmclain1]

Well... first, to lose a couple out of 12 is not abnormal. However, if it's drinking the sugar water it should be ok for a day or so. Do you have an electrolyte powder or drink that you could give instead? Also, if you could put some poly-vi-sol without iron in the water as well that would help. I wouldn't worry too much about the food at this point....give it a couple of days to get over the trauma of shipping. Aren't they just cute!!???

 

[Pasadenachicken]

So cute!

I ordered extra for this very reason, truthfully. I still wanted to try and save the little critter. It's a sweet, cute thing and I'd feel guilty if I didn't at least try to save it.

I have pedialyte and can get some poly vi sol without iron. Naturally I already have the one with iron for my son. Oh well, I know where to get it!

Any suggestions on ratio of poly vi sol to pedialyte? How frequently? I am trying every 2 hours or so to get it to take dropper fulls of water. Maybe I should do it less? I think it got trampled but maybe it will perk up with some love and electrolytes.

I can't believe how cute these little guys are. It's ridiculous!!

 

[Suzierd]

I would try mixing some of the chick starter food with Luke warm water and making mush and see if you can get her to eat some of that.

 

[Pasadenachicken]

I'll try that as well, maybe the wet mash will be easier for her.

I gave her some pedialyte. Crossing my fingers. She's a cutie. I hope she makes it.