We lost a barred rock - splay leg

[RedHillChicken]

I wonder if they have any NutriDrench

I wonder if they have any NutriDrench

YES, I've tried to give her nutri-drench, but she doesn't want to drink. I've got the Sav-A-Chick electrolyte

 

[Painted Calls]

Mixed up new electrolyte and dipped her beak. How often should I do this?

I'd do it at least once an hour. I'm not entirely sure. Hopefully someone will be along to help with that.

Get that temp lower in the meantime.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Cooked egg yoke? We'll try that, since I don't want her getting too weak from not eating or drinking.

No just raw egg yolk! I mixed a very tiny pinch (barley anything for just one chick) of electrolyte powder with the egg yolk and thinned it out with a tiny bit of water to make it easier to drip onto the side of her beak.

 

[Painted Calls]

CMC, thank you so much for this advice. We mixed the raw egg and electrolyte and water, and fed her on the side of her beak. She immediately started taking it in, and we ended up giving her .7 mL and we're letting her rest now. We'll give her more in a bit. The heat is now 91 under the plate. Is that too cool? We've noticed that since we turned off the heat lamp that they all gather under the panel. then they will go out to the cool spot to eat and drink. Thanks again!

Yay! Your temps sound perfect now and I'm so happy to hear she's getting nutrition!

Sorry guys - been insanely busy today.

 

[Kiki]

You mentioned heat panel...
Can you post a picture of your brooder?
Do you know what temperature it is?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I agree with the others. Only use the heat plates and yes 72 is perfectly fine for a cool spot. I brood out in a barn with a heat plate and the only time I turn on a heat lamp is over their food/water when it's below 45 degrees in the barn. They are in a 10x10 brooder room that they have complete access to and from day one their hottest spot is 90 degrees max. Even at a couple of days old they are often romping around and playing completely outside of any heat even when it's 45 degrees outside. The only chick deaths I have had are those that arrived dead or arrived completely lethargic (shipping stress deaths all within 24 hours of arrival no deaths after that). Chickens will brood even in cold weather and once the chicks hatch they do not sit under the broody hen all of the time often being out and about with her foraging.

 

[Painted Calls]

So it's 93 under the panel. Should we get rid of the heat lamp?

Yes! This is perfect

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

CMC, thank you so much for this advice. We mixed the raw egg and electrolyte and water, and fed her on the side of her beak. She immediately started taking it in, and we ended up giving her .7 mL and we're letting her rest now. We'll give her more in a bit. The heat is now 91 under the plate. Is that too cool? We've noticed that since we turned off the heat lamp that they all gather under the panel. then they will go out to the cool spot to eat and drink. Thanks again!

So amazing to hear that she started taking to the mixture! Egg yolk has a lot of nutrition so this should hold her over until she’s ready to eat chick crumble! The temps sound perfect. It’s normal for them to spend more time under the heat panel when they’re younger and as they get older they’ll spend less and less time under it.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

How often would you feed the egg yoke/electrolyte mix?

I attempted to give it to her every hour or so during the day and just once at night. Sometimes she’d eat more, sometimes less. I had to do this for 2 days before she started eating chick crumble on her own (it was mainly because her splay leg was really bad and she didn’t learn to walk for that amount of time).

 

[Aunt Angus]

Such good advice here!

For future reference, I just use a heat plate and no lamp. I don't even check temps, tbh. I've not had any problems (so far).

Keep in mind, the little splay leg chick might have had trouble since it couldn't get food or water or get out of the heat. But if it had a deformity, it might also have had other internal problems, too. And some chicks just don't make it for myriad unknown reasons.

Sounds like the rest of them are off to a good start, though! Glad the little lethargic one is responding! Nutridrench, electrolytes, and egg yolk have helped save many a baby chick.