Runt turned non active?

[JustDadWithChickens]

So I have two batches of chickens about 10-15 days apart in separate brooders.

in the older chick brooder I had one runt who just wasn’t doing good.

I moved her to the other brooder and is nearly the same size as chicks 10-15 days younger than her.

Now all she does is sit under the heater and not move. She is so lethargic that she doesn’t even fight me holding her.

her feathers look very dull and overall horrible. I have not seen her eat or drink in a couple days.

 

[sourland]

Frequently birds that fail to thrive suffer from a congenital condition that limits their chance at surviving. This may very well be the case with her.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

So I have two batches of chickens about 10-15 days apart in separate brooders.

in the older chick brooder I had one runt who just wasn’t doing good.

I moved her to the other brooder and is nearly the same size as chicks 10-15 days younger than her.

Now all she does is sit under the heater and not move. She is so lethargic that she doesn’t even fight me holding her.

her feathers look very dull and overall horrible. I have not seen her eat or drink in a couple days.

Has she been given an electrolyte vitamin supplement yet? I would try that if you haven't already, but I agree with Southland that sometimes there is just nothing you can do.

 

[Lizzy733]

I'd say there's something congenital going on. Does she breathe heavily? Get moments where she perks up but looks exhausted afterward?

One thing I got to experience in my time volunteering for bird rescue was a gallop heartbeat in a duckling. - its where there's a hole in the heart allowing freshly pumped blood to mingle with old coming in.

It can be picked up with a stethoscope and sounds like a 'triple beat' instead of a double.

I had one in my last hatch that I swear had it, heart always pounding, but never had a stethoscope to check for sure. It never improved and passed at 1 week old.

 

[JustDadWithChickens]

Hey all, she isn’t doing well. She just lays in my hand. Have the electrolyte water but no real improvement

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Hey all, she isn’t doing well. She just lays in my hand. Have the electrolyte water but no real improvement

If she's not eating or drinking, have you considered tube feeding her? If she's not getting the supplements into her, they can't help.

Is she a lavender bird? There's a gene that can affect the feathering of lavender birds that makes them look a bit dishevelled.

 

[JustDadWithChickens]

I tried my best, but unfortunately she has passed. Was feeding her multiple times a day, and she could barely keep awake. Woke up yesterday and she was laying on the floor, gone.

Thank you everyone for your help.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Condolences on your loss.

It just seems that sometimes, they're just not meant to make it.

 

[Lizzy733]

I tried my best, but unfortunately she has passed. Was feeding her multiple times a day, and she could barely keep awake. Woke up yesterday and she was laying on the floor, gone.

Thank you everyone for your help.

That's what it was like for mine aside from the occasional spark of hope thrown in there. I'm thinking for the future for myself, if I don't see progress in weak or injured chicks within a few days, I'll cull.



At that age, they're growing so fast and, in my limited experience, if they don't get better quickly, they won't be getting better at all.