Peachicks Not Eating

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CarlisleCluck said:
I know this is an old thread, but I have a question related to the initial question. I have three peachicks hatched by a peahen about 4 days ago. Two of the chicks appear fine - I don't really see them eat and drink like chicken chicks do, but they are active and attentive to Mom. When she sits down, they dive under her.

The third peachick has been "a runt" from the start. It appears somewhat weak and wobbly. It doesn't appear to eat at all and just stands near the mom but doesn't go under her to keep warm. I will push it under her sometimes, but within a few minutes it is back out (I haven't seen whether the peahen kicks it out or it just comes out on its own).

I have been hand feeding it enriched water, scrambled eggs and this afternoon added mash (the food for them softened in water). When I do this, the chick will swallow the food but didn't eat anything on its own until I tried the mash, and then when I gently pushed its beak into the food a couple of times it did gobble some up on its own. It does swallow what I put in its beak. It spit out the hard dry feed (medicated chick starter with Kibble added).

It doesn't have any pep, it seems slightly wobbly when it stands - in fact, I have never seen it sit. It seems to always fall backwards a bit when I first set it down. I understand that a peachicks appetite is not that of a chicken chick, but this one is obviously not doing as well as the other two, and frankly appears to have been rejected by the peahen. The peahen even jumped up on a straw bale this afternoon, along with the other two chicks and has been there for the last hour or so. I put the third chick under her, and when I checked a few minutes later, it was on the floor.

So I have stuck it in the incubator (for heat) and will probably set up a brooder tonight. I have not seen any poop. I do have lots of chickens, and these chicks are in a coop that has been exposed to those chickens over the last few years.

Thoughts about the brooder idea?
Is it too early for a peachick to have coccidiosis or ???
Should I just assume it is sick and give it medication?
If so, what is the dose and should I go ahead and medicate the other two chicks (and of course, the Mom as she drinks from the same waterer)?
Should I assume the chick will eat on its own when it is ready and just leave the food and water available in the brooder?

I appreciate any comments - thank you!
Click to expand...
How big does it's belly feel compared to the other chicks?

-Kathy
 
I started mine off with Gro Gel Plus, works like a charm. Feeds and hydrates the little fellows.
Also putting a marble in their food and water dish gives them something shiny to peck at, that has also worked
well for me.
 
The marble idea is good! I can't check his belly until later this afternoon...and I have yet to hold either of the other ones, but will attempt it. I think I am most worried that he is an outcast - he can't stay under the mom, so can't stay warm. And so he is in a brooder by himself. And he is wobbly, so I attribute that to not eating enough, but I have been able to get him to eat quite a bit by hand feeding. But that can only continue for so long!
 
CarlisleCluck said:
The marble idea is good! I can't check his belly until later this afternoon...and I have yet to hold either of the other ones, but will attempt it. I think I am most worried that he is an outcast - he can't stay under the mom, so can't stay warm. And so he is in a brooder by himself. And he is wobbly, so I attribute that to not eating enough, but I have been able to get him to eat quite a bit by hand feeding. But that can only continue for so long!
Click to expand...
Has he pooped yet?

-Kathy
 
Just came in from feeding the chick. It's belly seems only slightly smaller than those of the other 2 - but they are all pretty small. I have a small spoon that I use to feed it watery scrambled egg as well as the feed made into mash. I can get a good amount of food in its beak and it eats most of it...and very occasionally, I can set its beak in the food on the spoon and it will gobble up a bit, but it is slow going. I use a small syringe to get it to drink vitamin water. I set up a brooder last night so that it could stay warm and eat/drink if it wanted to. There are a few small solid brown poops in the brooder that look normal. Setting aside that I need to feed it, it is definitely being ignored by the peahen and other 2 chicks. It is definitely un-sturdy and does a funny thing with its head...it will softly jerk it in one direction, and then let it fall and turn back to the front or down Both wings hang down to the sides. Its eyes seem to be only half open. So it seems to be weak and wobbly, sleepy and unsteady.

I like the marble in the food idea, but it doesn't seem interested in anything in particular. It doesn't peck at stuff. It does self-groom a bit. I have been feeding the watery scrambled eggs. I guess the best thing to say to describe is that it doesn't seem to be thriving - actively, lively, curious - as the other two. They appear bright-eyed and curious. And I hate that it is by itself now. I do put it down with the peahen and chicks, but it just sits there when I do.
 
CarlisleCluck said:
Just came in from feeding the chick. It's belly seems only slightly smaller than those of the other 2 - but they are all pretty small. I have a small spoon that I use to feed it watery scrambled egg as well as the feed made into mash. I can get a good amount of food in its beak and it eats most of it...and very occasionally, I can set its beak in the food on the spoon and it will gobble up a bit, but it is slow going. I use a small syringe to get it to drink vitamin water. I set up a brooder last night so that it could stay warm and eat/drink if it wanted to. There are a few small solid brown poops in the brooder that look normal. Setting aside that I need to feed it, it is definitely being ignored by the peahen and other 2 chicks. It is definitely un-sturdy and does a funny thing with its head...it will softly jerk it in one direction, and then let it fall and turn back to the front or down Both wings hang down to the sides. Its eyes seem to be only half open. So it seems to be weak and wobbly, sleepy and unsteady.

I like the marble in the food idea, but it doesn't seem interested in anything in particular. It doesn't peck at stuff. It does self-groom a bit. I have been feeding the watery scrambled eggs. I guess the best thing to say to describe is that it doesn't seem to be thriving - actively, lively, curious - as the other two. They appear bright-eyed and curious. And I hate that it is by itself now. I do put it down with the peahen and chicks, but it just sits there when I do.
Click to expand...
Can you post a video of it?

-Kathy
 
It will let me post only a Youtube or Vimeo video...and I don't know how to do that. It is getting late...I will try again tomorrow.

WAIT!! - I put it on Youtube...let me try again...



0.jpg
 
Last edited:

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