Update on 4 week old chick - not eating, how can I force feed her?

[ace6175]

Last Tues I thought for sure she would die. She is 4 week (now almost 5) Cinnamon Queen. On Tues, she couldn't even hold her head up. I used an eye dropper to give her watered down milk with sugar. The next day she was standing, with her feathers fluffed and her eyes closed for the most part. She was pooping what looked like water with large amount of white on it.
I started feeding her a soy protein shake (ingredients: soy protein, stevia, vanilla) by holding a spoon under her beak, when she dropped her head, she would get a beakful & have to swallow it.
The next day, miracles of miracles, she started eating on her own. Not much, but she wouldn't eat anything from the spoon, just kept turning her head. Her poop was all medium brown, and watery at that point and it really smelled bad! So bad, that at one point she hopped out of her box, pooped on the floor, and got back in her box. But she was eating by herself, and grooming her feathers, so I was encouraged.
Yesterday she pretty much stopped eating. Her poop is back to the clear watery with the white. I'm trying to get her to eat anything, but she keeps turning her head away. I have tried to give her yogurt, oatmeal, peanut butter, milk, soy shake, but to no avail.
Does anyone have any advice? If she doesn't start eating soon, she will die. She has already lost quite a bit of body weight.
The other 12 chicks are doing fine. Everytime I see one of them sleeping alone, I wake it up to make sure it's ok!
Thanks for everyone's help and support. This is my first time raising chickens.

 

[cthrash1]

Have you given her a drop or two of Poly vi sol without iron? It'll perk her right up. Give her a drop or two a couple times a day for a few days.

ETA: Make sure it is the kind with NO iron

 

[LynneP]

Vitamins in her water for sure, and try mixing yogurt with her commercial feed. If she wil eat a little mashed overripe banana flesh, you can always mix the commercial feed in that, too. Is her crop in normal condition?

 

[ace6175]

I have never checked a crop before, but the sick chick seems to have a very large soft crop, as compared to the feel of one of the chicks that is well. I don't know what this means.

 

[LynneP]

Okay I have a better idea now.
No stevia! No artificial sweeteners of any kind in fact. Bit of sugar is fine. Not sure about soy- I think it is hard to digest.
Feed her her starter or grower mixed with water for now.
Now tonight she should be separated, not fed but have water on hand with vitamins (no extra iron) and you should examine the crop then and first thing in the morning. It should have gone down- if not, she is probably impacted, if even slightly. Don't force food in an impacted crop, read below for instructions. Try to figure out what might be in there.


See here-

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=7693-sick-hen

She may have gorged on something- is there anything fibrous which she can get- alfalfa, straw, string, anything at all?

 

[nnbreeder]

Smell the chick's breath, if it is a rank smell it could be sour crop.

If not I would give a drop or two of Olive oil and then do a crop massage to see if the contents will move into the gizzard as it should.

 

[LynneP]

ace6175- I should add that nnbreeder helped me through a very severe impaction in a year old golden comet. Without his specific instructions I would not have had a happy outcome with her!

(Thanks, Les)

 

[ace6175]

I tried a crop massage - instantly water came out of her mouth. I didn't feel anything in her crop - it just seemed soft. Could it be inflamed? I did feel her breastbone - poor thing is just wasting away.
She looks even worse now, just sitting there with her eyes shut, can't even get her to drink some water with baby vitamins. I don't have any olive oil, are other types of oil ok to give a chick?

 

[sammi]

what bedding are you using?

if shavings or straw..sometimes chicks will eat it and impact the crop..and contaminate the water.

when the crop is impacted..it means it's blocked and no food can get thru.
feel for a lump or grainy feeling.

do not force food or water, or milk...etc..nothing.. right now.
.
describe the droppings..color and consistency..

check the vent and make sure it is clean and clear, and not plugged up.

if you don't have olive oil, try veg oil..by drops on beak..
try and massage and break up the lump.

don't mix the Poly-vi-sol with water...give by drops on beak..
2 drops once a day...

fingers crossed for the chick..

 

[Judy]

There are several good threads about sour and impacted crop on the FAQ page; click on index, upper right hand corner.