PLEASE HELP! My 2 chicks wont eat or drink!!

[California Ducken]

Well, I just killed one of my black chicks.........I got a tube feeder at the vet yesterday......they did fine. Then this morning I was feeding my little guy and I guess I gave him too much 1/2cc and he tried to take a breath and sucked some in his lungs.... the leftover stuff in his mouth.......now I am freaked to even feed the other one.

They were turning the corner and doing so well, then I killed him. I tried sooo hard to get him to come back to life but after 45 minutes I stopped.
I feel like crap.....I have never killed anything.

He was my little feisty thing!
I'm sorry baby chickie.......RIP

I have to focus on the living now....My eyes are swollen and I have a bad headache now.
Please learn from what I did and be careful when tube feeding baby chicks.

 

[georgialee]

I'm sorry you lost one.

Tube feeding is difficult even under the best circumstances with an experienced person... I'm not sure your vet should have recommended that.

 

[California Ducken]

Thank You! My other little chickie dosn't eat or drink on his own either. But.......He loves pecking the end of the feeding tube and I squirt out Exact baby bird food(every so tiny amount) when he pecks it. And he gobbles it up!!
He is so small or micro...... I compared him to his other siblings and OMG he is still the size of his banty egg he came out of...... Persistence!
Thank You for your well wishes georgialee!!!!

 

[georgialee]

I would keep letting the chick peck the feed and eat on his/her own... much safer. I used to hand-feed parrots and I remember how easy it is for them to aspirate their food - I can't imagine something so small as a chick! good luck!