week old chick dying slowly-do i play god??

[IroquoisEgg]

I have a 1 week old light brahma baby dying. I have tried all I can think of the last 3 days to try and save her. Now she is barely breathing, just lying on her side under the heat. Do I just leave her there and let her pass on her own, or should I do something to end her suffering-if in fact she is suffering. In the past I have just let the failure to thrive chicks go on their own time, but part of me feels that she's miserable and starving to death...what have you done in your experiences with this??

 

[artsyrobin]

bring her in the house, try giving her egg yolk, drip it on her beak- she may be overheated in the heat? also get some polyvisol liquid infant vitamins and put a couple drops on her beak- i always give them the benefit of a doubt- was she eating at all?

 

[IroquoisEgg]

She's in the house in the brooder, under the heat lamp and I have tried adjusting it to different levels the first day thinking maybe it was too warm/too cold but then again everyone else was fine. I have done the poly vi sol, electrolytes scrambled egg...but not the egg yolk. At this point she is just barely breathing and hasn't moved in hours. The other girls are taking turns lying with her. It's like I'm just waiting for her to stop breathing. My poor Roxy. I have to stop naming them so early...wait until they're like 4 weeks old instead. This stinks.

 

[artsyrobin]

sounds like you done just about everything, and the others are staying near her to comfort her- let them have that time- i do wild bird rescue, and i had a vet tell me that sometimes we are meant to be hospice, to give them love and peace as the pass- its really hard, and just be there for all of them- i know that doesn't help much- i just lost a silkie to the heat and had to sit and watch him go- but he knew he was loved- hugs to ya- you just never know with these little ones

 

[sheila3935]

Chickens are so very compassionate. I had a BO 3 days old die and the other chicks circled around her one laying next to her til she passed. We did all we could to save her but alas it was her time to go. Just give her what you can and let the others give her the love and kindness she needs to travel on from this world. This was my little Buffy

 

[IroquoisEgg]

she's gone. RIP Roxy. Sad day. Thank you for responding with such compassion.

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

I am sooo sorry. I have a small group of RIR chicks that all seem a little "sleepy" and I am just hoping they simply need a long nap in a dark room...scared they are failing to thrive...well wishes and keep me in mind too!

 

[artsyrobin]

I am so sorry, hugs to you!

 

[artsyrobin]

BigDaddy'sGurl :

I am sooo sorry. I have a small group of RIR chicks that all seem a little "sleepy" and I am just hoping they simply need a long nap in a dark room...scared they are failing to thrive...well wishes and keep me in mind too!

How old are they? You might want to post to the emergency cures board and mention their eating, pooping etc​

 

[whillo]

So sorry Charity I lost a little silkie like that, but it was a lot quicker. I was so confused. My biggest thing is that I worried constantly after that the rest of the girls were going to start dropping like flies. I'd been reading on here for almost a year and there seemed to be one thing after another. I stocked up on supplies "just in case" and haven't needed anything. My girls are 10 weeks now and doing great.