really weak baby chick (UPDATE!!!!!!! 3-26)

[BellLisamo]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I marked his head last night after i gave him some honey. He laid down and slept. This morning i couldnt tell who was who, but i remembered i marked him! And he was the craziest one in the bunch!!! Thank you all for your help! He wouldnt have made it with out you.

As crazy as the Phoenix chicks are..... LOL

yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[daisychick]

That is great news! So you just gave it a little of straight honey? or did you dilute it with water? Just curious in case I ever need a quick sugar fix for a weak chick. Glad it worked!

 

[BellLisamo]

Quote:
i used a syringe and sucked up some honey (not diluted), pryed his beak open and gave him a few drops. he didnt perk up for a long time, but hes running wild this morning!!


hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[walkswithdog]

Just a quick point - please don't use raw honey on baby anything. The sugar may help quickly but the BACTERIA will kill it in many cases over the next two weeks.

Raw honey has bacteria in it that adult humans can handle but it is not safe for newborn anything - except bees.

Raw honey has killed human children and they are a LOT bigger than a chick.

Karo syrup is safe, Agave Syrup is safe, even raw, so is sugar water in a pinch.

I hope the wee spud makes it

I'm working with a weak one as well.

 

[Mahonri]

That's why I've always done sugar water.

Do you think prophylactic terramyacin would be in order?

 

[walkswithdog]

Yes, I would definitely give terramyacin if raw honey was used.

I've been having good luck lately with the Manna Pro powdered electrolytes and Avi-Con water soluble vitamins for birds. I have poly-vi-sol but I like being able to get vitamins easily to a whole hatch so I shifted to the Avi-con.

I keep Karo for quick fixes, or if I'm out my agave syrup (which I normally horde for my tea OMG yum).

 

[wyndski]

Quote:
I am one that used honey, it was a last resort as I couldn't get anything else down it (I did try sugar water first). I may be lucky that it work without side effects so far and it has been about two weeks. I know that it would have died if I had just left it not been able to get anything down it. The crazy bugger is growing and doing really well but I did have to make the food smaller. I did not know that about honey and will keep it in mind for the future.

 

[walkswithdog]

Wynd I am glad yours made it. Sometimes before you know better you try anything and in your case it worked. I had to say something because though yours made it one with a weaker immune system might not.

Many people read these threads searching for help and so it's important that the risks of some things be made very plain. Many people think nothing is dangerous about Raw Honey, despite the number of children and animals that are killed by it every year.

Until you know the danger, it wouldn't even cross your radar. But I have been rearing baby animals for a very long time. Thus learned it early.

It's only a kindness to try and save those I can help.

Sugar water is less effective but raw honey is dangerous and folks need to know that. Karo is best or Agave syrup - which most health and some grocery stores now carry.

If honey was all I'd find a way to heat a good bit up until the bacteria probably died, then let it cool and then use it.

I have baby jars around, wouldn't hurt to put honey in one, close it and put it in boiling water for five minutes.

 

[BellLisamo]

So far so good. He's eating and drinking like a champ. What about syrup? Like pancake syrup?

 

[walkswithdog]

Pancake syrup would be better than honey.

One of the nice things about Karo is that lack of artificial stuff. Hence it's use with small animals routinely.

Karo white is slightly better tolerated than Karo dark, which retains some of the molasses ingredients and is better tolerated by older animals, not newborns.

Karo white is also screamingly cheap. Also a helpful thing.

You might ask your neighbors if they have karo, many people have a bottle of the stuff hiding in the back of a cupboard and it never goes bad, just dries out.