tiny chick not thriving?

[tygab]

we had some chicks hatch Wed/Thurs, 5 total. 4 are doing great and being normal chicks. One is much smaller than the others and extremely sleepy. I have tried to show it the food and water, and watched to see its behavior. The only thing it really seems to want is sleep.
Should I be more aggressively intervening, and if so how? Would a dropper with pedialyte be a start?

Added: I realize this may be a runt and may not make it/I may need to cull, but I would like to give it a chance and am not sure what to do.

 

[elmo]

Try giving it some hardboiled egg yolk, cooled then mashed. Peck at it with your finger so it knows it's something good to eat. Good luck.

 

[wolftracks]

Also try some sugar added to the water.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
I'd be worried about encouraging bacteria to grow in the water container by adding sugar to it. If I did this, I'd probably clean the waterer out every few hours to keep bacteria in check.

 

[Jeremy Parker]

Stay away from the sugar water you are going to seal the fate of this chick!

Huge bacteria issue could develop and will constipate the bird which will create another issue!

I use tetracicline in water for 4 days stop for two and then do again for 2 more days!

Do use some cooked egg yolk. Its worked for me before!

Blessings,
Jeremy

 

[tygab]

Thanks everyone. This is my 3rd year raising chicks but haven't had a runt before (lucky I guess). We will try the yolks and see if that helps it.

 

[cajungal]

I have raised my baby chicks on sugar water since 1999 and I have never had a problem yet.................I've never lost a one!
Blessing

 

[lemurchaser]

Quote:
Why do you use this schedule? It seems like a great way to build up antibiotic resistance. Really you should probably do it for 5-7 days and then be done.

 

[wolftracks]

Sugar water will bring a dehydrated or weak chick around very quickly.

I can only see bacteria building if you keep a nasty brooder. I've used it for a long time for other birds and now chickens. Never once heard about it building bacteria, but most people are constantly cleaning the containers anyway, so there wouldn't be a problem.

I keep extra waterers and feeders that are cleaned with bleach and water on hand, so if for some reason the container is pretty dirty I can switch.

I don't use an antibiotic right away unless I suspect something else is going on.

So far so good, I have never lost a chick from being shiooed or one that I hatched out. Knock on wood. I have a BCM that has a disablity and is not keeping up, but when I noticed he was falling behind I started the sugar water and now although he is much smaller he is still healthy. I almost wish I hadn't done it because nothing I have done has corrected his leg (missing an outer toe), but I just couldn't let him die on me. Hopefully the leg will do something soon. I hope. In the meantime if anyone looks weak it's sugar water time.

 

[twentynine]

I use sugar water mix for the first few days. Never a problem.

Sometimes you end up with one that just don't make it, as hard as it is to face up to the fact, nature is pretty rough. The problem you are going to end up with, is if this chick continues to lag behind, the other thriving chicks are going to kill him. If you are going to make an effort to save him he will have to be seperated from the others.

Hate to say it, but you mentioned it first. The humane thing to do may be to cull him.