possible sick chick

[Bridgette1221]

Ok so I'm new to this so.... I just got 2 silkies and 2 jungle ... 3 of them are very active but one is not so much.... its pecked around here and there but them it acts sleepy and is really wobbly. Is that normal? It has drank and peck at some food some...

 

[Dawn419]

You didn't mention how old/young they are but if they are just a few days old, it is pretty normal.

You've noticed it eating and drinking, which is a good thing. It can take a few days for some of them to figure out how to use their legs.

I just picked up 5 Silver Spangled Hamburg chicks yesterday (it's been about a year since I've dealt with young chicks) that are about 5 - 7 days old and have one that tends to sleep more than her sisters do but she's eating and drinking fine so I'm not really worried about her but do check on her often, just because.

I hope this is some help!


Dawn

 

[TXmom]

If they are very small, like my Silkie babies were, I found that I had to grind up their food smaller. I watched them eating, and noticed that they would pick up the starter crumbles and then drop them. I put the crumbles in my Magic Bullet (little blender) and ground them much smaller (not quite powder)...after that they ate a lot more and had more energy. I also put Vi-tal vitamin/electrolyte powder in the water.

 

[Farm Frenzy]

Try giving it a little sugar water. It should perk right up. I would also try to crush it's food up smaller. Good luck!!!

 

[Bridgette1221]

Ok so the chick is still with the living and seems to be a bit better today but its a total loaner chick. It kinda just hangs out by itself. Still seems weaker than the others, a bit lathargic... is that normal? It is the smallest of the chicks

 

[Renee]

Sounds like the runt.
It'll probably turn out to be your favorite.
Quasimodo was like that when she was a baby, and she still has a hump tail, but she's not the weakest any longer. Now she's Queen Hen.
Sometimes the sickly little ones don't make it, but most of the time they do.

 

[firedove]

Have you checked it for pasty butt? Poo crusted on the vent. I almost lost one of my original pack of chicks because I didn't know about it and the baby couldn't poo so it was getting weak. When I realized what was going on I cleaned it up and gave it some TLC (food and water placed by it when I had it out on it's own so others couldn't push it around), and it picked right up again. I've since learned with this new group of chicks that a small amount of molasses in the water is very helpful or you can give them little bits of honey on their beaks to help them gain energy since honey is a high energy food for them.

 

[Bridgette1221]

Ok the pasty butt thing, it would be pretty obvious wouldn't it? Or is it something I actually have to really look for? I'm checked out their rear ends...and didn't see anything that looked like dried poo ... it wouldn't be hidden like inside them or anything would it?

 

[firedove]

Yes, it would be obvious.

 

[Bridgette1221]

It died