Sick Chick - Won't Move

[sledzeppelin]

I just went downstairs to check on our chicks and found one laying in the food dish all sprawled out. She's breathing and blinking a little, but won't stand and she's really limp. The dish is under the heat lamp and she was on bare metal so perhaps she fell asleep there and overheated? I'm trying to cool her off (though I don't want her to get too cold) and trying to give her water, but she won't open her mouth. Any ideas?

 

[sledzeppelin]

She's starting to perk up just a little - eyes open more, a little movement. Still won't drink water.

 

[ChickadeeLover]

I am not sure what to do but hopefully someone will be able to help you! How old is she? dribble water along her beak and some will go in. Water is important just make she doesn't choke on it! are you giving them any vitamins or anything?
Good luck!

 

[sledzeppelin]

By the way, they're about 5 days old I guess. Pine shavings. Chick starter food. Electrolytes in water. Temperature about 90-93 degrees. I got them from a farm supply store who got them from Hoover in Iowa. This one is a wyandotte.

 

[sledzeppelin]

Drinking a little from a medicine dropper now.

No other vitamins - just electrolytes in the water.

 

[sledzeppelin]

She just pooped. Runny white and brown.

 

[chcknrs]

Is she perking up at all yet?

 

[sledzeppelin]

Perking up more. Still sleeping, but when I give her water she drinks and shakes her head around. I just set her up on her feet and she couldn't really stand, but she flapped her wings and picked her head up. Now she's fidgeting and trying to stand a bit. When I first found her she was totally limp, and now she feels more solid.

Sugar water maybe? How much sugar?

 

[chcknrs]

I wouldn't do sugar water. Do you have some plain organic yogurt? My chickens "drink" it just like they do water. You can dip her beak in it and she might take it. You might want to raise your light in the brooder too.

 

[sledzeppelin]

No yogurt but I could get some.

We raised the light a bit this morning after I found the sick one. When we first raised it they were huddled under it, so we put it back down just slightly and now it seems right.

We picked them up on Thursday and they had just arrived that morning in the mail from Hoover. So I guess they're a week old or so.