Runt baby- what else can I do?

[Homeschool Adventure Mom]

Hello! Thank you in advance for any help! I am brand new but have read tons of stories of sick and runt chicks here and am thankful for this forum for guiding me this far. I’ll try to stick to highlights of backstory & questions I still have to keep as short as possible:

-First 3 chicks of our own, but did help our co-op/farm friends raise 4 of 60 and all went well!
-My “Amercauna”(not sure if pure breed or Easter Mix? Bought at Rural King) is incredibly small compared to the Buff Orphington & White Leghorn we also brought home.
-First day she seemed fine- eating/drinking but did have pasty butt which I cleaned.
-Day 2-5 was lethargic, falling constantly, always sleeping, oblivious to what was going on around her, getting ran over, falling over “dead” (immediately asleep) tho occasionally ate & drank. I moved her to her own box in the same bin as her “sisters”. They share a lamp and I keep 2 thermometers by my sick baby- 95 degrees average, soft socks to sleep on and a tiny unicorn to cuddle with.
-I immediately researched, hand fed sugar water while I ordered electrolytes & vitamin mix. Sometimes she seemed ok, but definitely weak & mostly slept. She did eat on her own (chick food. Refused egg yolk, cottage cheese, wet food, yogurt, even high protein cat food-nothing but chick feed!), but I did have to hand feed water/sugar-water because she just didn’t drink much on her own. I made sure she is pooping brown & white and watched for pasty butt.
-Yesterday AM- started electrolyte & vitamin water (normal dose for chicken water). By end of day, she was standing better, seemed stronger, getting herself in & out of heat, not falling over “dead”, seemed more aware and started pecking random things & acting like a chicken! Pooping more, eating and drinking more!
-Today- all of the above is better! Alert, eat, drink, poop, etc. I put her in with her sisters and she pushed her way into the best heat, pecked at the wall, napped with them a bit, then one got a little aggressive and I put my tiny back in seclusion. She’s so tiny! And still has only the scraggly feathers on the tips of her wings just like she came. I weighed her today- 1.1oz, barely bigger than the size of the egg she hatched from.

-What next? What else can I do?
-I don’t care if she is a well producing hen, or is “useless” or even a roo who is behind! I just want her to live!
-should I make her vitamin/electrolyte batch stronger because she is ill?
-what should I watch for other than new feather growth & weight gain?
-I appreciate any advice, I’ve learned that it’s pretty normal for chicks to not make it but I want to try everything! I want to be one of the few success stories I’ve read!
-Anybody have happy ending stories of a runt baby?

Thank you!!<3
Amanda, new chicken Mom and very in love!

 

[cavemanrich]

I think you are doing the best you can
Just sending hugs your way to you and chicks...
Lets see what others suggest.
Do try giving the Egg yolk again.
It is also possible that she is a Bantam. (smaller to start). Rural King would have no problems mixing up chicks. It could have occurred by a misinformed employ.
WISHING YOU BEST.......................... and

 

[Ranchwithaview]

I hope your chick makes it. We are new to chicks. We had two weak chicks hatch a couple days apart (thankfully). I didn't think to give them their own box in the brooder. I tried setting up a second brooder, but the poor chicks (each was in it alone) protested loudly until I picked them up. I took advice I had read on BYC to wear the chick in a bandana around my neck, and offer food and fluids frequently. Less than a day later, for each chick, and the chicks perked up. Thankfully.

 

[Homeschool Adventure Mom]

Thanks to both of you! I guess other than advice on anything I’m missing I just want to hear Im doing everything I can!
So glad your weak chicks perked up! I suppose technically my tiny is perked up too but I don’t think I’ll feel better until I see some definate growth. I was trying to study pics of 4 days apart when I first gave her the unicorn to snuggle with and I think she might be bigger next to it?? Hard to tell by picture but my memory is wanting to say she grew the tiniest bit after 2 full days of vitamins. Fingers crossed!! Thanks again!

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

That little runt looks the same, no growth!! But who knows, he/she might hit a growth spurt later on in life........ if not, you can call him/her, 'Shawwwty'.

 

[Homeschool Adventure Mom]

That little runt looks the same, no growth!! But who knows, he/she might hit a growth spurt later on in life........ if not, you can call him/her, 'Shawwwty'.

I know That was first 2 days on vitamins but she def got stronger! Today she is holding her head higher/stretching her neck & looks taller. It also looks like the next couple rows of feathers are sprouting on her wings! Eating like crazy, I think finally pecking at yolk (with food crumbles in there But weighs the same- 1.1oz.Just live, little baby!!

 

[Dandelyon]

To help her eat a lot, you could mix some warm water with chick food for her. You can also sprinkle some of the vitamins on it. I think this is one of the things that helped my tiny chick - she loved it!

 

[808momof4]

You are doing what I did 2 weeks ago with our little Bernadette. She's still smaller than all the others, but she is growing. I don't have any more advice for you. I scrambled the egg and chopped it until it was roughly the size of her feed. I also made the feed a mash with the electrolyte water and made her eat. Bernadette wasn't eating or drinking when we brought her home, though. Good job!

 

[Homeschool Adventure Mom]

You are doing what I did 2 weeks ago with our little Bernadette. She's still smaller than all the others, but she is growing. I don't have any more advice for you. I scrambled the egg and chopped it until it was roughly the size of her feed. I also made the feed a mash with the electrolyte water and made her eat. Bernadette wasn't eating or drinking when we brought her home, though. Good job!

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Awww what a sweetie!! So glad to hear good turn out with your Bernadette! I hope we are in the same boat in 2 weeks Happy to say she’s still progressing today<3 I hope yours keeps it up too! Thank you for letting me know

 

[Homeschool Adventure Mom]

To help her eat a lot, you could mix some warm water with chick food for her. You can also sprinkle some of the vitamins on it. I think this is one of the things that helped my tiny chick - she loved it!

Thank you! This “Durvet” electrolytes & vitamins came out to about 1/2 tspn per gallon of water, not much! But the water is bright yellow so it must be potent. Maybe I should research if there is something I can mix with her food in addition. Thank you!!