Sick Chick

[pek]

We have two chicks that are about a week old and maybe a day apart. One, the younger is much smaller than the other, but still normally very chirpy. This morning I found her on her side. The water dish was full of shavings so they didn't have water. I have been giving her sugar water with "nutri-drench" ( a liquid vitamin for chicks ). She is still peeping and is moving around, but in an odd way. It seems like she is having trouble lifting her head and she keeps trying to lie on her back. She also has a bump on the side on her chest that appears to be full of liquid, not blood. I do not think that the chick with her would have hurt her, but could the problem be something to do with trauma? Or is she just dehydrated?

 

[Whispering_Raven]

Just kinda throwing this out there, but every baby I've ever raised have laid on their sides or near rolled over to their backs until they were too big to do that. I have two orps that are 8 weeks old ad still lay on their sides. Silly things, they are.

I'd stop the sugar water. That's really only used right after transport to get their energy back up. I've never used vitamin supplements with my babies, so I can't speak to that. Make sure they always have plenty of clean water especially if you are using a shallow bowl of some kind. You'll have to clean it out several times a day. Someone certainly may have a different opinion, but it sounds like your little ones are just doing what babies do.

Have a blessed day!