Starving Chick

[5chicks4us]

We got our chicks 2 days ago and I have yet to see one (of the 5) eat anything. She pecks at the plastic and not the food. I have gently guided her beak into the food many times, which is what I did to the others and they all caught on immediately. She does drink because she pecks at the reflection on the water and ends up getting water in her mouth. Her poops are fluorescent green, which from what I read means there is no enough food in the food to bile ratio. She sleeps...a lot. This morning I thought she was dead because she didn't move the first time I nudged her. The second time she got up and looked at me like "What are you doing, lady?" I've tried giving her soft food and eggs and she won't as much peck at either.

Is there any hope for this chick? If so, any suggestions on what I can do?

 

[Lytlechick]

Try some plain yogurt with a little chick starter sprinkled on top. Dip their beaks in it or even try to force feed with a small dropper. After food intake make sure she gets water and agian you may have to use a small dropper or syringe w/o needle.

 

[5chicks4us]

I'll try that. Time to head to the store for yogurt!

 

[mcf3kids]

I had one that was like that - wouldn't even open its eyes so it wasn't eating or drinking the first day and a half. I smeared a bit of the cooked egg yolk on its beak to give it a little taste and it ate a few bits of it that day. Same thing with the water (with chick starter in it) dipped the beak - the next day it started opening its eyes and I gave it more of the yolk and now it is thriving. Good luck with yours - I thought for sure mine was a goner and she is spunky now.

 

[Nambroth]

I have one like that. She was weak so I kept putting drops of sugar water (just a tiny bit of sugar for energy) on her beak till she opened up and got some in her mouth. Well, she didn't like that, but I kept doing it. After a few sessions she learned to beg from the eyedropper, at which point I stared dipping it into a feed-dust (ground up starter so that it'd stick to the wet dropper). It was like magic... once she realized what food was, she was HUNGRY! Suddenly she went from zero energy (and frankly I thought we might lose her) to chick go time! I had to 'target' her food with the eyedropper for over two days for her to understand she could eat pieces of food not attached to the eyedropper. By target, I mean lead her to the food with the eyedropper and dip it in, 'peck' the food with the tip. She's still a little weird and doesn't quite understand where food comes from, but she at least pecks at the food now and eats a piece here and there. I have been supplementing her with yogurt-dipped feed when her crop seems empty, to keep her energy up. I hope that if she can grow a bit and get past this initial phase she might be okay.

Plain yogurt is your best bet. Some people also swear by a bit of crumbled hard-boiled egg yolk

Good luck!

 

[RuntChick]

Isnt that cannabalism? thats kinda creepy lol

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

one way (ive tried, all of these are great tho) is set food on a plate, set the chick on the plate, and tap your fingers, they look at the ground and try and peck imitating you and "OMG THIS STUFF IS FOOD!"