hi everyone! I am brand new to the chicken-raising life. I purchased 15 chicks from a hatchery and received them yesterday morning. All of them seemed to be fine, and we’re eating and drinking normally.
Today, I came out in the morning to check on them and one chick was not looking so hot. She was laying flat and seemed off. I monitored them for a while and she wasn’t eating or drinking at all.
I read lots of threads on here so I checked her for pasty butt, gave her water off my finger, then did the sugar water, tried a raw egg and had her drink a bit of that. Now I’m trying the chicken feed mash. I have been giving her something every hour. (I coat my finger with mash and offer it to her until she takes some, and then I wait a few moments and repeat X3 or 4) I’ve seen her attempt to eat once or twice. The other chicks aren’t pexking her but they do step on her head sometimes.
Sometimes she is blended in with the others when they’re sleeping and I can’t even pick her out. Other times she’s off by herself laying flat looking dead. She pecks at my hand, let’s me hold her without any skittishness, and will open mouth for water or food if I’m patient.
So, that’s my rambling, here are my questions:
1) I’m checking on her throughout the night. If she’s in with the others sleeping normally (not flat on ground by herself), do I wake her up to get her to eat, or leave her?
2) Should I separate her? I know they do best together which is why she’s still in there.
3) should I be doing something else? (I am going in the morning to get liquid vitamins)
4) what is a reasonable time frame to nurse her? I’m willing to do it forever, but I don’t want to prolong suffering if she is suffering.
Today, I came out in the morning to check on them and one chick was not looking so hot. She was laying flat and seemed off. I monitored them for a while and she wasn’t eating or drinking at all.
I read lots of threads on here so I checked her for pasty butt, gave her water off my finger, then did the sugar water, tried a raw egg and had her drink a bit of that. Now I’m trying the chicken feed mash. I have been giving her something every hour. (I coat my finger with mash and offer it to her until she takes some, and then I wait a few moments and repeat X3 or 4) I’ve seen her attempt to eat once or twice. The other chicks aren’t pexking her but they do step on her head sometimes.
Sometimes she is blended in with the others when they’re sleeping and I can’t even pick her out. Other times she’s off by herself laying flat looking dead. She pecks at my hand, let’s me hold her without any skittishness, and will open mouth for water or food if I’m patient.
So, that’s my rambling, here are my questions:
1) I’m checking on her throughout the night. If she’s in with the others sleeping normally (not flat on ground by herself), do I wake her up to get her to eat, or leave her?
2) Should I separate her? I know they do best together which is why she’s still in there.
3) should I be doing something else? (I am going in the morning to get liquid vitamins)
4) what is a reasonable time frame to nurse her? I’m willing to do it forever, but I don’t want to prolong suffering if she is suffering.
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