Please Help me with my baby chick :(

[binksymarie]

picture of lucky.. he's sick =[

I went to a place where they sell baby chicks....

and.. I went over to look at all of them.
I have never raised chickens...

Im a 19 year old vegetarian.. so of course i think they are cute, and would want to look at them...


Well, why i was looking at the little tubs of chickens..

I overheard a lady and and employee talking

she wanted all the baby chickens that were in that tub.

all but ONE....
and that one... is now named lucky

She said, she did not want this one, because he had a problem..

and the employee said.. "yeaaa, looks like he's got a problem with his legs or something"

Sooo.. curiousity came over me, and i went to look at the little chick...

another chicken was stepping on him..... =[

i asked the lady what they do with the injured, or sick chickens...
and she said:

"you probably don't wanna know"

well that couldn't mean ANYTHING good.....

so i told her I wanted it!

She talked to a manager and they ended up giving me the chicken for free.

There is a friend of my families who lives up the road, and she cares for turkeys, ducks, and chickens..

soooo i took him right up there!

Lucky is really weak =[
and he can't stand very good.. he tries his hardest, but doesn't seem to get anywhere =[

the legs move though.. but usually he just kind of wiggles from side to side, other then standing up straight..

i don't see anything deformed... it all looks normal..

His eyes are staying closed, and he is trying to sleep.

we have been trying to give him water, and he's taking little sips.. =[

and were trying to give him food...

Right now he's in a little box with some hay... and there's a heat lamp over him..

I don't know what could be wrong with him or how to cure him...

so i joined this site....

I am really sad about this chick, and i think it's mainly cause i just don't know how to help him...

and i just have such hope for him to make it...


I know i am new here.. but i could really use any advice right now, and i would appreciate it more then anything else. =[

please let me know anything u might think it is... =[
and if he has a chance.... =[


thank you all,
Bianca

 

[dlhunicorn]

you need to go to the feed store and get electrolytes ... he is probably dehydrated from not being able to get around well. Give this at a luke warm temperature and do it as quickly as possible... keep dribbling along beak (but do not squirt into beak or it will get into lungs if too much to swallow on own) ... you can also get some baby parrot hand-feeding formula in the pet bird section/pet store...if they do not have this then add some well cooked human oatmeal (cook in water with no sugar or salt) to the feed to make it moist and clump together (the feed should be a medicated chick starter mash)
the legs may need to be hobbled (do a search for SPRADDLE LEG > you will find links to articles showing how to do that) .>the main problem now is rehydrating and get it eating.