Newly Hatched Silkie, Can’t Stand, Lays on Side

[SugaryPanPan]

@jwehl @CindyinSD @cherrynberry Hey guys! First off thank you all for being compassionate and giving me so much advice!
Just wanted to update you all on the baby’s progress- its able to hold its neck up much better now! I did research and I believe it may be wry neck. I was able to hand feed it some probiotic chick feed and it is drinking sugar water out of a bottle cap. I’m keeping it in a bowl now so it can continue to develop its leg muscles, and so the siblings dont peck at it and stress it out.

Overall feeling really hopeful! Everyones advice has been really helplful and again, I thank you also for keeping me grounded. I am going to do my best in keeping it healthy and not in pain. I would never want it to suffer needlessly just because I am too attached to it.

 

[SugaryPanPan]

They don't typically show much interest in food/water until the third day(ish). They come from the egg well-fed & hydrated. When you get them in the mail or a feed store they tend to be 2-3 days old at least, & hungry. From the egg, they haven't been (for me) hungry/thirsty.

I'm sorry you're having troubles. Your little floppy one sounds to me like it's got some neurological problems. I think you're doing what you can; the save-a-chick may work. They can sometimes suffer from nutritive deficits if mommy/daddy weren't getting what they needed to make healthy babies.

I've always ended up losing ones like you describe sooner or later, though. At this point in my chicken journey I would probably cull it in order to keep it from unnecessary & (probably) unrewarded suffering. It's a sad thing, but nature doesn't always come through for baby chickens. I know you're gonna try, and you should absolutely do that if it's what's in your heart to do. Just understand; if it doesn't work, it's not unusual and it's not your fault.

You were right. I had to put Nokhod down (I named it Chickpea, in Farsi). I kept hoping it was something simple like Wry Neck but I knew deep down it wasn’t. Its eyes were constantly closed, it kept gasping and it had no interest in food. I haven’t slept in days because I kept waking up to forcefeed it its electrolyte and chick mash mix.

Honestly I kept wishing it was me who had to die instead of her- I feel awful, I feel like I should have done more for it. Me and my parents can’t stop crying. I couldn’t do it. My dad did. We made the baking powder and vinegar gas chamber.

Maybe I should have waited longer? It just felt like she was suffering so much.