Stargazing Day Old Chick

[tjbaker70]

This morning I picked up my chicks at the Post Office. 27 of them! They are all doing fantastic but one. Right away one appeared a bit listless and within an hour or so was wobbling and on her back. Her neck flips over her back and she cries. I was going to just out her out but then have been reading on here about stargazing. I have been giving her fluids all day (every 20 mins or so would dip her beak). I isolated her in her own box with food, water, heat and my son built a little contraption to hold her in a normal position. From her little contraption she is now able to drink on her own. We have just started giving her some Brewer's Yeast but it looks like maybe I should get Pro Vi Sol vitamins, yes?

Any advice or thoughts on this little chick making it? She is a Silver Laced Wyandotte. The other three Silver Laced Wyandottes are all fine

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some aren't strong enough to make the shipping trip unfortunately. It could have been squished or not warm enough. I always put some brown sugar in their water initially for quick energy to help them recover and get goung. Sometimes they have low blood sugar and need a boost. Those that can't recover will usually pass the first day, despite any help.

 

[tjbaker70]

Some aren't strong enough to make the shipping trip unfortunately. It could have been squished or not warm enough. I always put some brown sugar in their water initially for quick energy to help them recover and get goung. Sometimes they have low blood sugar and need a boost. Those that can't recover will usually pass the first day, despite any help.

Yes, this one came out of the box like this. I took each one out and dipped their beaks in water and let them drink a bit of plain water, then made a quart of Sav-A-Chick Electrolyte mix. All the other chicks were immediately drinking and feeding at the trough within a few minutes and they've been great all day and into the evening, though finally resting. We isolated this other chick because the others were pecking her and sitting on her, and we've tried watering and feeding her by hand. She just chirps and chirps and seems in a permanent back bend. She has drank some fluids but I don't anticipate she'll make it at this point.

 

[drumstick diva]

Do try the Polyvisol (no iron) I would give her 2 drops 3 x a day. Put the drops just inside her beak, so if she refuses to swallow she can push them out. You might try gentle massage to coax her head/neck in a more normal position. She may have been too crowded in the shell or in a bad position. Or maybe she was injured by the other chicks during shipment. Does she have a little stuffed toy to cuddle with or even a bunched up washcloth, so she doesn't feel alone.

 

[drumstick diva]

Put "stargazing chick," in search box. Several posts should pop up. There may be something in the responses that can help you. One person said it can be a thiamine deficiency, if
medicated chick starter is used, etc.

 

[tjbaker70]

Do try the Polyvisol (no iron) I would give her 2 drops 3 x a day. Put the drops just inside her beak, so if she refuses to swallow she can push them out. You might try gentle massage to coax her head/neck in a more normal position. She may have been too crowded in the shell or in a bad position. Or maybe she was injured by the other chicks during shipment. Does she have a little stuffed toy to cuddle with or even a bunched up washcloth, so she doesn't feel alone.

This last point is excellent! I was worried about putting something in with her.

We are unable to get vitamins until tomorrow but have been giving her some Brewer's Yeast and electrolytes. I also put some of the crumbles in water and she seems interested to eat them, though I had to help her. Hopefully she'll make it through the night and I can try the vitamins in the morning. We've also been rubbing her neck and back a bit. For a moment, she almost sat upright.

 

[Eggcessive]

Stargazing is a form of wry neck. In young chicks it can be a sign of vitamin E deficiency. Most people use a poultry vitamin, but the SaveAChick or baby vitamins eill help. Aside from vitamin E, the mineral selenium isalso needed. I like Poultry Cell or Poultry Nutri-Drench 1 ml per day because it contains both E and selenium, and thiamine which can also help. Some wry neck is caused by injury to the neck or head, heredity, or in older chicks certain infectious diseases. You will need to make sure that she is eating enough. I would add some water to a small bit of her chick crumbles to make it soupy, and offer her some with a spoon to get some food in her.

 

[tjbaker70]

Stargazing is a form of wry neck. In young chicks it can be a sign of vitamin E deficiency. Most people use a poultry vitamin, but the SaveAChick or baby vitamins eill help. Aside from vitamin E, the mineral selenium isalso needed. I like Poultry Cell or Poultry Nutri-Drench 1 ml per day because it contains both E and selenium, and thiamine which can also help. Some wry neck is caused by injury to the neck or head, heredity, or in older chicks certain infectious diseases. You will need to make sure that she is eating enough. I would add some water to a small bit of her chick crumbles to make it soupy, and offer her some with a spoon to get some food in her.

Thanks! I will head over to TSC tomorrow morning. I should be able to get the Nutri-Drench there. I have seen that listed now in several spots. She was slower than the others out of the box and within an hour or so just sitting on her bottom and then she started with her back seeming to bend backward. I've been able to get some fluids and food into. She appears to be sleeping now (breathing steadily). From the hours of writhing around, she must be exhausted. We were able to immobilize her a bit and it seems to relax her quite a lot and allow her to eat (crumbles in water) and drink.

 

[SweetandSavory]

I just had one come out of the incubator stargazing (I had hatching eggs shipped to me) I had some rooster booster vitamins on the farm so I gave that to everyone and had my husband pick up nutri drench on the way home just in case. I had read that it is usually a deficiency of thiamine in mom. Well it was pretty amazing. I put her beak in the water maybe 2 times and left the room for a minute. Came back and she was almost normal. a few hours later I can't even tell which one wasn't well. If she does well with the vitamins I would get her back in with the chicks as soon as you can.

 

[tjbaker70]

I just had one come out of the incubator stargazing (I had hatching eggs shipped to me) I had some rooster booster vitamins on the farm so I gave that to everyone and had my husband pick up nutri drench on the way home just in case. I had read that it is usually a deficiency of thiamine in mom. Well it was pretty amazing. I put her beak in the water maybe 2 times and left the room for a minute. Came back and she was almost normal. a few hours later I can't even tell which one wasn't well. If she does well with the vitamins I would get her back in with the chicks as soon as you can.

Unfortunately, my little one passed away finally. We tried vitamins and nutri-drench, hand feeding. For her, she may have been injured in travel rather than a deficiency I guess. Also, because I didn't quite know what was wrong or what to do for about a half day, I simply may have lost precious time.

Great to hear you had success with yours though! It does seem like an important ailment ot know about given that when it is caused by vitamin deficiency it is so easily rectified.