Three day old chick not thriving

[pettpaintings]

This little chick hatched under my broody on Thursday pm it still can't stand up very well and I am really worried that s/he just won't make it don't know what it is either as the eggshell was missing and it was from a mixed batch any ideas??

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Is it sleeping a lot? Try put some sugar water in their waterer to help give it a boost. Make sure its eating, drinking, etc.

 

[pettpaintings]

Yes it sleeps all the time under moms wing I've not seen it eat at all and so far it has only taken honeyed water from a dropper when ever I give it~ not seen it drink by itself :-(

 

[Year of the Rooster]

If it's not drinking, it's because it doesn't know how to. Get your waterer, put some fresh sugar water in it, then gently stick its beak in the water. After that it should start to figure things out. Be careful not to drown the thing.

 

[pettpaintings]

We've done the waterer thing several times to no effect so resorted to using a dropper which he took a few sips from then scrabbled back under moms wing, I'll be amazed if this little chick ever makes it but I'm going to keep trying and take it a day at a time
This chick raising plays havoc with your nerves!! even with a broody hen LOL

 

[MissPrissy]

Try giving it 3 drops of baby liquid vitamins (poly-vi-sol) by beak every day and see if this perks it up.

If you give it sugar water for more than 1 day you will start pasty butt issues. Sugar draws water into the intestines and flushes the system. This is why molasses is used to flushed toxins from poultry.

Do you have any quik chik? You can also add raw apple cider vinegar to the water.

 

[pettpaintings]

Hi MissPrissy, thanks for that advice I am really unprepared for any of this as I (mistakenly) thought that a broody hen and eggs would pretty much take care of themselves!

I dont have chiccy vits would "poultry guard" tonic be ok to add?
I will stop adding he honey to the water now as s/he has had that several times today and I don't want pasty butt problems to add to everything else! I've seen momma hen "pecking" at the chicks beak now ~ is she finally trying to feed it??
I have apple cider vinegar (not sure if its "raw")

 

[Katy]

Another thing you might try is to mix up a little infant oatmeal cereal and give it to it with a dropper. I've had some luck getting slow chicks going with that.

 

[MissPrissy]

You could see if you can get it to peck at some soft scrambled egg on your fingertips, too.

If the baby is sickly there is nothing a mother hen can do for it. Chickens don't tend to their young in the same way we mammals do.

 

[pettpaintings]

Thanks everyone for all the tips~ I will keep trying with this little one, frankly I am surprised that s/he has lasted this long so maybe its a fighter? fingers crossed it'll make another day x
I'll let you know how it gets on
Wish us luck