Sleepy chick - how can I help?

[Purlsnponies]

I'm sorry about your losses, and your sleepy chick. She's a pretty one!

I had one chick who seemed alright for the first few days, and then got sleepier. I put electrolytes in the water, gave her NutriDrench a few times, and fed her pieces of hard boiled egg yolk several times a day. She did end up making it, and is now a feisty 8 week old.. but you can do everything right and still lose them sometimes. I'll be rooting for you guys!

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

gosh thank you for a happy-ending post. Poor dear, we all have tragic stories when she needs some good news and hope.

 

[kat_and_hens]

update: baby is still alive. I picked them up from the post office at 9:30 AM this morning so we're closing in on 12 hours here. She still is really lethargic and won't eat or drink independently. I did pick up the Nutri-Drench from TSC and gave her some on a Q-Tip. My husband is trying to get her to take some egg yolk but she is not interested. Everyone else is still lively and cheeping away. I hope she'll last the night, but I'm not optimistic...

I did talk to a local farmer who has some Easter Eggers in her incubator right now though! They should hatch in 3 weeks. That's the same kind that was DOA for us this morning. So I am hoping I can get a few of those from her and integrate them right away if the current babies don't pick on them, otherwise I'll have to get a second brooder. She doesn't sex, so I could end up with some cockerels I'd need to rehome (my town doesn't allow roosters).

 

[yakitori]

electrolytes and keep her very warm... hopefully she'll perk up..

 

[kat_and_hens]

chick update: this morning, when my husband went in to check on them, the chick came running out to see him, peeping and happy! We knew it was her because her face is covered in egg yolk, haha. We will wash her off when she is stronger. She is drinking independently and looking much more like the rest of the flock.

Now, of course, the other Orpington is looking extremely sleepy and lethargic. I'm watching her back end for pasty butt as I see some traces of poop on it. I'm following the same protocol now - Nutri-Drench and egg yolk and keeping her very warm. I hope we can continue to keep them both strong. Wish us luck that they continue to thrive!

 

[DesertGrrl]

chick update: this morning, when my husband went in to check on them, the chick came running out to see him, peeping and happy! We knew it was her because her face is covered in egg yolk, haha. We will wash her off when she is stronger. She is drinking independently and looking much more like the rest of the flock.

Now, of course, the other Orpington is looking extremely sleepy and lethargic. I'm watching her back end for pasty butt as I see some traces of poop on it. I'm following the same protocol now - Nutri-Drench and egg yolk and keeping her very warm. I hope we can continue to keep them both strong. Wish us luck that they continue to thrive!

Awesome to hear!
I hope your other chick gets better too.

 

[Shezadandy]

SUGAR WATER. And poultridrench.
Make up a batch of simple syrup (just dissolve regular sugar in warm water). By dropper or Qtip ... or on the pointy edge of a zip-tie, pretty easy to work little bits into the beak that way.

I had one arrive I was pretty sure was dead. I went to take the proof of death picture and her eye flickered.

I used a blow dryer on low, sugar water and poultridrench to get her going and from there you'd never know which one it was.

 

[kat_and_hens]

Hey everyone. I have another chick update. The first Orpington continues to do well: eating, drinking, pooping and exploring the brooder with her friends. The second Orpington, however (the one who was initially the stronger one) has declined rapidly over the course of the day. Despite giving her sugar water, Nutri-Drench, egg yolk and keeping her warm, she’s so weak now she will just lay on her back in my palm when I hold her. She will no longer drink even when I dip her beak or offer her a Q tip.

I can’t seem to bring myself to cull her. But I don’t think she’s going to make it. My question: do I let her pass in the brooder with her friends and in the warmth of the EcoGlow, or do I put her in her own little box? I have a space heater I could aim at her to keep her warm. It feels mean to separate her but I worry on the off chance she has some kind of infection...I’m 99% sure it’s a failure to thrive sort of thing, since the other Orpington has rallied, but you never know.

what do you folks think?

 

[DesertGrrl]

Hey everyone. I have another chick update. The first Orpington continues to do well: eating, drinking, pooping and exploring the brooder with her friends. The second Orpington, however (the one who was initially the stronger one) has declined rapidly over the course of the day. Despite giving her sugar water, Nutri-Drench, egg yolk and keeping her warm, she’s so weak now she will just lay on her back in my palm when I hold her. She will no longer drink even when I dip her beak or offer her a Q tip.

I can’t seem to bring myself to cull her. But I don’t think she’s going to make it. My question: do I let her pass in the brooder with her friends and in the warmth of the EcoGlow, or do I put her in her own little box? I have a space heater I could aim at her to keep her warm. It feels mean to separate her but I worry on the off chance she has some kind of infection...I’m 99% sure it’s a failure to thrive sort of thing, since the other Orpington has rallied, but you never know.

what do you folks think?

The other chicks might peck at her and that's bad.
It's best to seperate her.

 

[kat_and_hens]

another sad update: when we went up to our room for the night and checked on her in our spare room, she had passed away. Looks like none of the others had been bothering her body, but sad to see her go. That's three we lost from this batch. But, everyone else still looks bright eyed and is eating/drinking well. Fingers crossed they continue to thrive.