One chick isn't growing! Why does he close his eyes and rock?

[JaneandLizzy]

There are 13 chicks. The first 11 hatched within three days of one another. 12 and 13 hatched near the end of that week. He's a fraction of the weight of the other chicks he's with.
# 13 is still so small that he is the same size as others we hatched just a few days ago, though he is two weeks older! The only difference is he has longer wing feathers coming in.

In his own hatch, he seems to be the only one who needs to nap and we see him with his head up and rocking back and forth.

I would think he was going to die, but he is still here after two and 1/2 weeks. I have never seen any picking on him.

Does anyone know why he isn't growing, or why he closes his eyes and rocks? When we pick him up he opens his eyes and seems fine, like he'd been sleeping.


Thanks!

 

[MissPrissy]

You never can be aure what is going on inside new chicks. He may out grow it and be fine. He may turn out to be a failure to thrive.

Have you tried giving it infants vitamins (poly-vi-sol) 3 - 5 drops by beak every day for 5 days - to see if a nutritional boost is what he needs?

 

[brookwoodpat]

I have one like this too. It is an americana. I am wondering if I should try taking it to the vet.
pat

 

[blessedchickenmama7]

I posted about a similar situation to this earlier today with my Ameracana. She's currently been isolated to be sure she isn't sick. I have tried feeding her egg and have seen her eat a little. But she's raising cane and trying to fly out of the box I have her in. When she's back in the brooder however she justs sits and snoozes and I don't think she's eating much, either.

Sonia

 

[brookwoodpat]

It is odd that she has the same symptoms as your chick. Standing and sort of nodding. I'm wondering if she got a chill somehow. It's hard to know because it's been 100 degrees here the last two days, and it's a fine line between keeping the light on for warmth, so they don't get a chill, and not overheating them. It was so hot I moved the light back and turned it off for a bit and I wondered if that was wrong. I've put this chick in a box next to the others. It then seemed to perk up and began to industriously dig in the food bowl and it did this for some time. Perhaps it just is a little under the weather and needs a little peace to recover, rather than being run over by its 4 brooder mates. Last night it was chasing bugs with the others. But it has always been smaller and a little 'off'. I know when birds hide symptons and by the time they act sick or off, they are pretty far gone. I am worried. I got these chicks the day they arrived at the feed store, but unlike the other two feed stores I got chicks from, this one seemed to know less about what they were doing. They got pasty butt, but that cleared up within a day. the others are all fine. But this one is just not growing like the others. I really like her coloring and had named her Jenny so I hope she makes it. I gave them some scrambed egg, but she doesn't seem interested in it -- doesn't recognize it as food. Wish Jenny luck.

 

[mlmadura]

i lost my smallest chick (half the others size ) at 11 days old last week due to too much heat in the brooder - she dehydrated. she was acting like yours - i worked with her all night but she was too far gone.
the next day before i realized what the problem was - i had another larger chick with the same symptoms - i managed to nurse her back using polyvisol and a mush mixture of oatmeal thinned with water, plain yogurt, and electrolytes with some chicken vitamins in it- she would take 1/2 oz - 1 oz twice a day - she perked up within 2 days. ( Of course i had already adjusted my brooder temp) i have had no more problems since then.

Best luck

 

[redhen]

i just lost one of my chicks also..and she was doing the same thing..i actually wondered if she was blind for a bit..but when she stumbled..she opened her eyes...so i knew she could see. but she did the same neck thing, and rocking and stumbling..i only had her for one night..

..and i tried so hard to save her...and when i went to bed i actually thought she was better..in the a.m., my hubby found her gone...she was my first loss...and on my b-day too!..it was tough seeing her like that..i wish you best of luck!..my thoughts are with you and the baby...Wendy

 

[brookwoodpat]

This is the chick I asked about before a day or two ago, when I asked was it normal for a chick to sleep standing up. And I was told it was okay. But I don't think she is okay.

 

[Suess hens]

Hmmm...I had an Ameraucana that was kind of the same way. Definintely small for her age. And I was worried about her having got a chill, turned the lights back to her and she would sit under it, warm up, then run around with the others, return, and do it all over again. then one morning she just wouldn't leave the warmth and I came home that night and she had passed. I will say that she showed signs of a respiratory infection though (watery eye), but this showed up about a day or two before she passed. I wonder now if I could have prevented it. It had been hot, then got a cold snap and hail one day...she started acting odd about two days later. Since then I got two more Ameraucanas and they are twice her size at the same age.