weak 3 day old chick

[mizzhoneybee]

Hello,

I am new to BYC and to hatching and raising chickens! I am teacher and we just hatched 7 chicks! So excited

The last little hatchling has been the weakest. She (manifesting hens) doesn't move around much and so I kept her in the incubator a little longer before moving her to the brooder. now in the brooder, she mostly sleeps, keeps to herself and when she is in the mix of the feeding frenzy just stands there kind of wobbly. she gets pushed around a little bit but so far everyone has been mostly gentle with her, mostly it's that she doesn't have the wherewithal to get out of the way. i have seen her drink a few times but have yet to see her eat. at first I thought she was just the runt and born last so slower to perk up in comparison to the others, but now at day 3 she is still small and exhibiting the same dazed and uninterested behavior. so now i'm worried.

i have been reading lots of posts on here about what to do with weak chicks, so I apologize for being redundant. there is just so much information I don't know which route to take. being in the classroom I don't have access to everything I might have at home. I do have scarves so I could put her around my neck although my kids might think i'm crazy. i have sugar so I could give her some sugar water, but I would have to wait until tomorrow before I could give her any eggs, scrambled or raw. as well as going out to purchase electrolytes and such. i definitely plan to take them home this weekend (no school tomorrow) so I can keep an eye, but i would love to start doing something today for her.

any clear advice would be super helpful as I'm so new to this I don't have a tried and true approach. is there anything I can do today at school that would perk her up a little bit until i can get her home?

thanks so much!

~Alicia

 

[TOOCLOSE]

Try making a wet feed with the chick starter feed. Put enough water in the feed to make it loose. A little wetter than a paste! I always used a jar lid. It was the perfect size for a tiny weakling. Dip the tip of it's beak into the mixture so it knows to eat it. And also separate it from the others. It will never survive with the stronger chicks around it. Be sure it's kept warm also!

Sadly the weaker usally don't survive. There's usually something that didn't get develped in the egg while they were developing! I hope it's just weak and needs a little extra TLC!

TC

 

[Gayleyy]

Hello and welcome! Sorry to hear about the chick. I have one that has given me lots of grief too. I agree with TOOCLOSE. Do you add probiotics to their drinking water? I think I would separate the weak chick, keep it in one of those scarves if you need to (the students will get a kick out of it) just make sure it is nice and warm. Make the paste and try to get it to eat, and drink (you can add a little sugar and a little bit of salt to the water). When you get home, try some raw egg yolk. Get some Nutri-Drench and add to the water, that should perk it up a bit. Good luck!

 

[TOOCLOSE]

How are y'alls two weak babies doing today?

TC

 

[3riverschick]

Hi ! ,

Go to Tractor Supply (cheapest) or your feed store and get a small bottle of either Poultry Nutri-Drench or Pet Nutri-Drops. At this point the chick is so weak it can't digest any of the solid helps you are giving it. It needs energy. These products do not need to be digested. They mainline directly into the bloodstream. Give 1 drop only by mouth to the chicks. Then put 2cc's per gallon in their water for the 1st 2 weeks to get them of to a strong start. I have used these products on my collies and poultry for over a decade. Superb products made by Bovidr Labs. You can use both products interchangeably per a conversation I had with the science techs at Bovidr Labs. It is very concentrated. Excellent for stress and weak babies. Here are some URL's which explain more.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/746509/how-to-deal-with-travel-stress-in-baby-chicks
That should read 50% uptake in 30 minutes. 99% uptake overall.
http://nutridrench.com/poultry-1.html
Best Regards,
Karen and the Light Sussex
in western PA

 

[mizzhoneybee]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I kept the chick close to me for a day and gave it water from my finger. I didn't have a chance to get the supplies you mentioned because I was at school all day. But by the end of the day the little one was eating and pecking around like the rest. She seems to be doing ok so I'm not sure if I should still feed her the raw egg or get her the electrolytes? She is still much smaller than the others but she is 2 days younger than them. Although the other one born that day grew quite rapidly. She eats and drinks now still not as voraciously but she is definitely less sleepy and weak looking. Do you think I'm outta he woods? Should I boost up her water just to be safe? Thanks so much!!

 

[TOOCLOSE]

mizzhoneybee: Thanks for letting us know it's status! She'll probably need the extra goodies to gain her strength.
I also wanted to mention this to you too! I was given some baby chicks that were hatched at a school. Several of them had the use of only one eye. The kids had poked them in their eyes and blinded them. Please watch them closely around the kids. I know it wasn't intentionally done, just little kids doing what they do! Just a friendly warning for ya!

TC