Silkie Chick, Lethargic and Weak

[Lokibinian]

Hi everyone!
I recently attempted to hatch chicks under a broody silkie hen for the first time. The first two silkie chicks came out healthy and strong, but the third one is weak and is unable to walk, eat, or drink properly.

We have three broody silkie hens. The first two chicks were given to my broody splash silkie, while my third, weak chick was given to my broody blue silkie. After a while, the blue silkie abandoned the weak chick and jumped out of the brooder, returning to the clutch of eggs.
I then put my broody white silkie with my weak chick, but she did the same thing, nearly trampling the chick in the process.
I finally put the splash silkie with my weak chick, but this time she DID trample the chick and abandoned it as well. If anyone knows why, I would love to know.

The chick is unable to stand up, instead stumbling around where it needs to go... barely. It sometimes falls over, it's so weak. I separated it in its own brooder, with pine shavings, with a Brinsea EcoGlow and her separate food and water containers. I gave it some electrolytes in the water, too. I tried to feed it some scrambled eggs for protein, but it weakly pecked at it before giving up. The same with the mashed crumble feed I made. I haven't seen it drink at all. I've resorted to forcibly dipping its beak in the water and feeding it liquid mash with a dropper.

I've checked for pasty butt. I've tried to place it in the food container, only to have it fall over. I can't figure out quite why the chick's so weak. If anyone can tell me why it's so weak, how to fix this, why the broody hens are rejecting it, how often I should drop feed it, etc., it's appreciated.

Thanks in advance! I know it's quite a lot, but I figured the more info, the better.

 

[azygous]

While our human hearts go out to a helpless, sick creature, chickens are far more practical. None of your hens are likely to take in and protect a sick chick because it goes against their instincts to preserve flock integrity. In fact, very often a broody will dispatch a sick, mal-developed chick.

Your chick likely has severe genetic abnormalities, including undeveloped organs so it won't be able to process calories into body heat and cell development. The prognosis is not good. About the only thing you can do is to provide it direct contact warmth, such as a heating pad since it won't be able to create its own body heat for some time, if ever. And give it Poultry Nutri-drench which can get right into the blood stream with important survival nutrients. Baby bird food is a good food for such a chick if you can find it. Absent that, finely minced boiled egg is a good food as is minced tofu. All food and water should be heated to 100F to provide the heat the chick is lacking.

But you need to be prepared for this chick not surviving. Your hens know more about its condition than we ever could.

 

[Lokibinian]

Thank you for your answer! Wowzers, I know this is four months old, but better late than never, eh?

My hens did reject my chick, but it seems like my efforts paid off, the chick is now a happy and healthy pullet. ^^

 

[azygous]

Against all odds! What a wonderful ending!

 

[LadyLucretia]

Thank you for your answer! Wowzers, I know this is four months old, but better late than never, eh?

My hens did reject my chick, but it seems like my efforts paid off, the chick is now a happy and healthy pullet. ^^

Oh my gosh amazing! I’m also trying to save a weak chick right now. I sure hope my chick recovers like yours did. Sending hearts!