What can you give chicks instead of vitamins if you don't have any?

[chickengr]

Chick is about 3 days old. Drinking. Has eaten a bit of chick starter yesterday but not much. Is very chatty, especially when I leave him. Haven't noticed anything wrong with his poops. He is being kept in a box in the brooder so he doesn't get attacked by the other chicks. Heat lamp. Barastoc chick starter. Feed only recently brought for the chicks. The other chicks are fine and so are the peachicks who are having the same feed. This chick needed help out of the egg so is weaker than the rest. Moved into the brooder yesterday afternoon. Also, yes he had a wonky toe. I'm in the process of making a shoe for him. View attachment 2989998 View attachment 2989996

sesame seeds. you will not need a shoe if you give your chick sesame seeds (together with chick starter). I have fixed many chicks with the same issue. also some honey in water for the first 2-3 days.

 

[Tonyroo]

This poor chick. I've just notice she has a lump beside her vent. It's soft. Any ideas?
*Also, please ignore the poop on her. She is still able to poop but I don't want to touch the area too much until I figure out what's wrong. And it's not as bad as it looks. There is a bit of shell stuck there that will be removed once I know what the lump is.*
View attachment 2990242View attachment 2990243

@Eggcessive , @Wyorp Rock , can you help?

 

[Angel07]

I'm still a big rookie with chickens so I dont really know what to say but here is my recipe. I never had any problems with it so I'm sharing it, dont take me too seriously though.

1. Boiled lentils (daal)
2. Egg boiled
3. Rice (cooked)
4. Coriander/Cilantro
5. Banana (3-4 small chunks)
6. Tomato (not the green part, in very little amount)
7. In a pan, take some water, add turmeric (very little) and ginger and garlic. Boil. Throw away the ginger and garlic. Cool down the water.

Now, blend all these up, use the turmeric water to make it the consistency you want.

Thank you for the recipe. I'll give it a shot if I can get my hands on some ingredients tomorrow.

Things that naturally have a lot of vitamins like fruits are not very nutritious in other respects. Get some Poly-Vi-Sol baby vitamin from the pharmacy and feed it chick starter. If he doesn't like it dry then wet it with something high in protein like egg yolk or milk.

I don't have a way to get into town otherwise I would. If I do go into town this weekend I'll get some though. It's had access to starter mush using water and egg yolk during the day.

sesame seeds. you will not need a shoe if you give your chick sesame seeds (together with chick starter). I have fixed many chicks with the same issue. also some honey in water for the first 2-3 days.

It's not eating anymore so I'm unable to get him to eat the seeds. If he does start eating I'll give it a shot though. I've given him honey water all day. When I replaced the water I gave him plain water but I'll be giving him the honey water again when I change it again.

Thank you for the replies

 

[21hens-incharge]

In my experience raising chicks (never used an incubator all mine were feed store or ordered chicks) that bump may be poop it cannot get rid of either from being weak or from poo build up near the vent.

I would clean that bottom up.

Seeds mean the need for grit. That chick is to weak to eat seeds and grit will surely be refused.

Easily digested and doesn't require grit would be egg yolk, chick feed wet with water gets some fluid in the chick as well as nutrition.
I would stick with those.

Not all chicks that hatch are strong enough to survive. This little one may have additional internal issues since it wasn't strong enough to get out of the egg on its own.

 

[Angel07]

In my experience raising chicks (never used an incubator all mine were feed store or ordered chicks) that bump may be poop it cannot get rid of either from being weak or from poo build up near the vent.

I would clean that bottom up.

Seeds mean the need for grit. That chick is to weak to eat seeds and grit will surely be refused.

Easily digested and doesn't require grit would be egg yolk, chick feed wet with water gets some fluid in the chick as well as nutrition.
I would stick with those.

Not all chicks that hatch are strong enough to survive. This little one may have additional internal issues since it wasn't strong enough to get out of the egg on its own.

Yes, I cleaned him up a couple hours ago.

Shoes went on about an hour ago so hopefully that helps that side of things.

I know that some chicks don't survive unfortunately but I'd like to do all I can to give this one a fighting chance. It's looking a bit better and is standing a bit better.

 

[Mellowmalt]

good evidence never to help a chick out of the shell. If a chick can't hatch by itself then it's chances of suvival are very slim.

I know it can be done but for the 1% of cases where a chick survives it isn't worth it for the other 99%.

Once you have dealt with a sick chick crying for a week, you will think twice about helping a chick that was not meant to make it.

But in order to give it the best chances it can be fed scrambled egg. Or the boiled yolk mixed with water in a paste.

You can aslo feed it bakers yeast in some lukewarm water - that has lots of vitamins.

Either it will straighten out its feet o rit won't and if it doesn't then it won't make it. I've never succeedesd with a shoe, no professional breeder would use a shoe.

It's not a proven or (imo recommended) aproach, it's just something that is suggested online because nobody wants to be realistic and say don't help chicks out the shell.

When I first started I would think helping them out was the humane thing to do. It's not - it's interfereing with nature's natural process and you cannot cheat the process, either the chick is strong enough or it is too weak.

I have tried and it is not worth trying so please people. Raise the healthiest chicks.

Unfortunately that means not raising the weak ones

 

[21hens-incharge]

good evidence never to help a chick out of the shell. If a chick can't hatch by itself then it's chances of suvival are very slim.

I know it can be done but for the 1% of cases where a chick survives it isn't worth it for the other 99%.

Once you have dealt with a sick chick crying for a week, you will think twice about helping a chick that was not meant to make it.

But in order to give it the best chances it can be fed scrambled egg. Or the boiled yolk mixed with water in a paste.

You can aslo feed it bakers yeast in some lukewarm water - that has lots of vitamins.

Either it will straighten out its feet o rit won't and if it doesn't then it won't make it. I've never succeedesd with a shoe, no professional breeder would use a shoe.

It's not a proven or (imo recommended) aproach, it's just something that is suggested online because nobody wants to be realistic and say don't help chicks out the shell.

When I first started I would think helping them out was the humane thing to do. It's not - it's interfereing with nature's natural process and you cannot cheat the process, either the chick is strong enough or it is too weak.

I have tried and it is not worth trying so please people. Raise the healthiest chicks.

Unfortunately that means not raising the weak ones

I disagree. Many do make it. Many live long healthy lives with bent toes as well.

I myself have a 5 year old cross beaked bird that remains healthy despite her deformity.

 

[Tonyroo]

I think it depends on the circumstances and commitment from individuals to save a weaken chick.

It can be done but sometimes time consuming.

I did save a weak chick that was last to hatch, it also came out with splayed legs. I fixed the leg and lack of nutrition. It turned to be a strong healthy cockerel, but a bobcat nabbed him.

 

[Jaime918]

Don't hold me to any of this. Going off what I've read!

Do you have any Pedialyte? I've heard this can be used just like we use for kids, or possibly some type of electrolyte filled drink? Gatorade, Powerade, vitamin water? Not sure how it would work, but might help in a pinch?

 

[Eggcessive]

Don’t substitute foods for chick starter, which has the right balance of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Just offer a watery mixture of the chick starter. Electrolytes which is better for reviving a chick can be made or something like gatorade, pedialyte or similar will work. Homemade electrolytes are fine. Could the chick have 2 vents, a common deformity? I would keep the poo washed off with warm soapy water.
Recipe for homemade electrolytes:
240 ml or 8 oz water
1tsp sugar
1/8 tsp of salt