Very small Serama chick not doing well?

[Liza728w]

Yesterday at 4 in the morning I helped a TINY serama out of her shell. She pipped 24 hours prior and didn't make much progress. So I got her out of there. (She was ready to come out, there was poo in her egg and no blood in the shell)

She was having extremely bad breathing problems and her chest would heave with every breath. She stopped breathing about 5 times but came back with a "PEEP" each time. She couldn't get off her back so I put her in a comfy lined cup in my brooder. Then turned off the lights.

She lived! She is now over 24 hours old. But, she is so small compared to her other two siblings. She doesn't have a will to eat or drink and just wants to cuddle and find warmth. I feel so bad for her.

She is under the brooder plate almost 24/7. Just to make sure everyone is comfy, I have my room heat cranked up to 75°.

I fed her some sugar water earlier and she got a couple small drops down. I then placed her back under the brooder plate.

What would YOUR next steps be? Any suggestions on how to get her feeling better and out exploring with her other two siblings? She doesn't even LOOK at food. If she isn't under heat, she will cry immediately. She is the one on the left in the picture. The one on the right is a day older than her.

 

[Cassandra Lana]

Do you have a heat lamp?if so I would use it sense she can walk/eat/drink and be warmed at the same time . best of luck ~ Cassie

 

[MysteryChicken]

Yesterday at 4 in the morning I helped a TINY serama out of her shell. She pipped 24 hours prior and didn't make much progress. So I got her out of there. (She was ready to come out, there was poo in her egg and no blood in the shell)

She was having extremely bad breathing problems and her chest would heave with every breath. She stopped breathing about 5 times but came back with a "PEEP" each time. She couldn't get off her back so I put her in a comfy lined cup in my brooder. Then turned off the lights.

She lived! She is now over 24 hours old. But, she is so small compared to her other two siblings. She doesn't have a will to eat or drink and just wants to cuddle and find warmth. I feel so bad for her.

She is under the brooder plate almost 24/7. Just to make sure everyone is comfy, I have my room heat cranked up to 75°.

I fed her some sugar water earlier and she got a couple small drops down. I then placed her back under the brooder plate.

What would YOUR next steps be? Any suggestions on how to get her feeling better and out exploring with her other two siblings? She doesn't even LOOK at food. If she isn't under heat, she will cry immediately. She is the one on the left in the picture. The one on the right is a day older than her.

She's a runt, runts don't always make it.

All you can do is make sure she's getting enough to eat, & drink. Adding extra vitamins, & electrolytes + Probiotics to the water is the best measures you can do with a runt.

Probiotics will boost good bacteria in her gut to promote better digestion, since some runts have less good bacteria in their guts.

Vitamins, & electrolytes will give her more energy, & nutrients she maybe missing, & give her more energy.

 

[Liza728w]

She's a runt, runts don't always make it.

All you can do is make sure she's getting enough to eat, & drink. Adding extra vitamins, & electrolytes + Probiotics to the water is the best measures you can do with a runt.

Probiotics will boost good bacteria in her gut to promote better digestion, since some runts have less good bacteria in their guts.

Vitamins, & electrolytes will give her more energy, & nutrients she maybe missing, & give her more energy.

Even though she isn't interested in playing/eating/drinking, I scooped her up on a heat pad with a syringe and slowly gave her little drops of chick vitamin water on the side of her beak. Then I mixed it with some chick feed and gave it to her too. She got at least a few full drops of water in and maybe a fourth of a drop of actual food. She is still just wanting to be under heat and wants to press her body up against my hand. Poor thing.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Even though she isn't interested in playing/eating/drinking, I scooped her up on a heat pad with a syringe and slowly gave her little drops of chick vitamin water on the side of her beak. Then I mixed it with some chick feed and gave it to her too. She got at least a few full drops of water in and maybe a fourth of a drop of actual food. She is still just wanting to be under heat and wants to press her body up against my hand. Poor thing.

All you can do is keep trying.
But there's no guarantee she'll make it.

As long as she got some of the vitamin water, & food in her, that's a start.

 

[Dinoroar]

Sadly some runts don’t make it and all you can do is keep her comfy and hydrated. That’s the hard part of raising chicks and tiny seramas especially.

 

[Liza728w]

Well, She is now about 10 days old! She is looking much better. She scarfs down her daily feedings like a little velociraptor. Sadly, I have to hand feed her 5 times a day since she can't eat on her own. She has neurological issues going on which I believe are due to a vitamin deficiency - I thought she was blind for a while since she doesn't seem to be able to focus on anything. She sometimes doesn't "see" me and definitely can't see the dropper in front of her face when I'm feeding her - she realizes I have food but moves her head around EVERYWHERE and pecks at thin air. She is slowly improving though. The last couple of days she has been flapping and jumping when I let her out on my bed, and loves to snuggle. She now doesn't require as much heat as she needed at first. She seems to be in no pain whatsoever and doesn't act lethargic anymore. She also stands like a normal chicken now and wants to try to perch on my finger. I hope that she heals up more from whatever this is and is able to eat on her own soon. If not, I guess I will keep hand feeding her. Luckily I work from home.

 

[Cassandra Lana]

Well, She is now about 10 days old! She is looking much better. She scarfs down her daily feedings like a little velociraptor. Sadly, I have to hand feed her 5 times a day since she can't eat on her own. She has neurological issues going on which I believe are due to a vitamin deficiency - I thought she was blind for a while since she doesn't seem to be able to focus on anything. She sometimes doesn't "see" me and definitely can't see the dropper in front of her face when I'm feeding her - she realizes I have food but moves her head around EVERYWHERE and pecks at thin air. She is slowly improving though. The last couple of days she has been flapping and jumping when I let her out on my bed, and loves to snuggle. She now doesn't require as much heat as she needed at first. She seems to be in no pain whatsoever and doesn't act lethargic anymore. She also stands like a normal chicken now and wants to try to perch on my finger. I hope that she heals up more from whatever this is and is able to eat on her own soon. If not, I guess I will keep hand feeding her. Luckily I work from home.

What great news ! I hope she makes a full recovery

 

[RebekahTN]

Well, She is now about 10 days old! She is looking much better.

How is your little one doing now?

 

[Liza728w]

How is your little one doing now?

I hand fed her until she was 6 weeks old - just when I was about to put her to sleep (it was just too much hand feeding every 3 hours with no end in sight) she started eating and drinking! So now she is only being fed once in the mornings. She is doing a lot better.