Peachchick needs help - please advise

[countrygirls3]

We have a 3 day old peachick that we had to help out of the egg. (The egg was found cold under a surrogate chicken who abandoned the egg while it was hatching so we had to intervene) He was wobbly at first but grew stronger. He will drink out of his waterer but he won't eat. His feathers look ruffled now today , he chirps constantly, or he falls asleep when you hold him ( the only time he is content). He has yellow pasty droppings now and is growing weaker. His abdomen seems very soft today. He has been with a little chicken his age for company. He will only occasionally peck at a finger with food on it, even with the other little chick eating right with him. We have him on medicated chick starter with boiled egg yolk. Tried a little yogurt as well. I am now placing tiny bits of egg yolk in his mouth to force him to eat. He is warm enough in brooder with lamp and temp control. Can a new chick get blackhead? I am headed to Tractor Supply to buy antibiotic, but I don't know dosage. Or should I worm him instead? If so, with what? What is safe for baby chick? We really have become attached to him - please help!

 

[zazouse]

Try wetting the food and call the chick to your finger with food on a tray, sometimes i had to teach mine to eat especialy the really imprinted ones, soft scrambled eggs are great also and a couple days of Poly-visol kids vitamins without iron has worked miracles here with some of my babies.

I would not medicate such a small one i think he/she just does not know how to eat yet, they can only go a few days without eating because they are still absorbing their yoke.

 

[countrygirls3]

We have been wetting food on our finger - that's the only luck we have had with any eating at all. I will go get the poly vi sol right away. How do I dose? Is it a liquid to put in the water? Do you think the soft tummy is due to lack of eating? Thanks for your help!

 

[zazouse]

If the wee one is drinking put a couple drops in the water if it is a small container.

 

[zazouse]

When you say soft tummy do you mean it's bottom is heavy ? that is normal for many chicks, i had a few that took days to stand cause they kept falling over from the weight that is cause from not loosing the proper water weight in the shell which occurs around 2 weeks into incubation this can also cause hatching problems.

 

[countrygirls3]

Thank you, I never thought of that - but what do you think of the other symptoms. I can't figure out why he has yellow, foul smelling feces. I can't find any info in on that symptom accept Blackhead, and I thought he was too young for that (although he was hatched out under a chicken). He's even shaky and listless know. I have to try something. Thanks to all!!

 

[zazouse]

I am not familiar with anything that a 3 day old that has not eaten could have come down with as far as catching something, mabe others have more info on that kinda stuff if it can happen.
The main thing is to get some calories and fluids in the baby till he can eat and drink well on its own, they are tiny and it can be tricky to hydrate them if you don't know how to do it, i got my practice threw the years on chickens

 

[casportpony]

Look up mushy chick syndrome. Best chance to treat that is a drop of 10% Baytril twice a day.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Thank you, I never thought of that - but what do you think of the other symptoms. I can't figure out why he has yellow, foul smelling feces. I can't find any info in on that symptom accept Blackhead, and I thought he was too young for that (although he was hatched out under a chicken). He's even shaky and listless know. I have to try something. Thanks to all!!

It is possible that he got blackhead by "cloacal drinking". Can you get him to a a vet?

- Kathy