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wildchild

New Chicks

By wildchild, in Chickens, Eggs and Hatching

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wildchild Freshly Laid Egg

wildchild

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Hello people,

 

I'm Tanya and the new owner of five beautiful little chicks! They are Bantam chicks and

about 2 weeks old, I am told. They are called Sage and lil'Onion, Rosemary and Thyme, and not forgetting the flighty Pepper!

 

They have been very spritely over the last 48 hours and I am bonding with them already.

I do have a problem however that I would gratefully appreciate some assistance with...

 

Onion, is my smallest chick. Every now and then he'll have some food and water but nowhere near consume the amount the others do. Even in 48 hours the others have grown so much more than him (or her). He just stands up all the time, wobbles about a bit, and sleeps most of the day and night. I have looked him over and cannot see anything, no parasites or sores or anything that might explain his sleepiness and lack of growth.

He (or she) is not frightened of me and spends hours just dozing in my hands. I wonder why he never lays down with the others? Why he is not growing? The rest are all very chatty and constantly 'cheep' as he does at times but I wonder if I'm missing something?

I want to give him the best possible care and make sure he has a happy life, but I need a little guidance on this one, if anyone can help?

 

His faeces seem fine too, and he has quite a bit of feather growth but is half the size of the others...

 

Sorry to begin my hello with a problem... :)

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wildchild Freshly Laid Egg

wildchild

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Hi,

 

Yes they are all the same variety and from the same batch.

They all quite happily eat from a large feeder, the others are quite happy to let him eat, in fact i'd go as far to say as sometimes they nudge him awake and push towards the feeder... If he's prompted by the others he'll have a few nibbles and then go back into sleep mode again, its the same with drinking.

He never lies down like the others either, always stands, even when the others are all lying down, he'll be the one standing in the middle of them all.

I've blown gently on him when handling, to wake him up a little and he'll feed a little from my hand but thats it... back to sleep.

I just think he can't be getting what he needs on a daily basis as he's not growing?

I am feeding them chick crumb.

 

Thanks for the fast response :)

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Plum Cocka-doodle-loopy

Plum

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How worrying guess you just have to wait and see. Sorry I have no experience.

Anyroad welcome to the forum and I am quite envious of you getting them from babies even with your problem one. Would the breeder exchange him for you?.

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Egluntyne Eggsistentialist

Egluntyne

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I think I'd have a chat with the breeder. It might just be that the chick is a 'poor doer' as my very experienced chicken keeping friend would say.

 

If he is ill, the breeder might take him back....and most probably like to know if there are problems with his/her stock.

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wildchild Freshly Laid Egg

wildchild

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Hello again,

 

Sadly lil Onion passed away in the early hours of this morning, I managed to stroke him till he fell asleep though, although I felt so helpless.

I did contact the breeder and they really weren't interested. I got them from Southern Aquatics in Poole, Dorset. The manager however is back tomorrow and I intend to give him a piece of my mind.

After Onion passed away, I found that Rosemary, another chick was displaying the same symptoms as Onion had, and was deteriorating much faster.

I contacted a poultry vet in York who helped a great deal. He suggested that I use the human antibiotic, amoxicillin; 50mg disolved into their water for five days. The problem was, no chemist or pharmacy would help me in obtaining any. In the end I managed to find a local vet with experience in poultry, who gave her a 'critical care' pack and an antibiotic injection. She has perked up alot but the next couple of days will tell all...

Hopefully it will be a bacterial infection and she will react to the anti-biotics. If it's viral, then they're all in trouble.

Since we came back at four, she has perked up massively although is not happy at being seperated from the others. I have even liquidised cooked cabbage, carrot and a little broccoli, which I have been feeding her through a tube. She'e eating/drinking it, so i guess she likes my cooking.

Thank you for all your kind words. I only wish Lil' Onion had made it through. Bless her.

Let's hope Rosemary makes it through.

 

Thank you :)

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wildchild Freshly Laid Egg

wildchild

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Little Rosemary seems to be struggling... 22.48

 

I wish there was something more I could do... If I leave her, she cries out...

I feel so guilty that I can't fix her. Almost frightened to let her sleep now, ooh, too late she's tucked her head under her wing, I guess my jobs done tonight... Will see what the morning brings.

I wish I could prop her body up, she's been sleeping standing up since she started getting poorly, the same as Onion. I think the only real sleep she gets is when I hold her, every time she wobbles, she wakes herself up. I can't hold her all night though, wish I could.

 

Please, please make it through little one!

 

Night everyone :)

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Egluntyne Eggsistentialist

Egluntyne

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Sorry to hear about L'il Onion. I hope Rosemary perks up.

 

Just a thought....the liquidised veg might just be a bit harsh on a sick chick's tum. I'd be inclined to give her chick crumbs made into a soup with water instead.

 

I'd definitely get on to the breeder this morning.

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wildchild Freshly Laid Egg

wildchild

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Morning all,

 

Rosemary woke me this morning, mind you she has been waking me all night... lol

Everytime she has woken and seen I was asleep, she called untill I moved or responded and then went back to sleep. Who's checking on who here?

Thank God, she is still here and cheeping quite beautifully this morning, she's still standing up but I keep feeding her and encouraging her to lie down with tickling her head and back, which she likes.

I have spoken to Southern Aquatics this morning, the manager obviously did not want to accept responsibility. They have asked for a veterinary report before he will consider paying me back for the veterinary treatment. The vets said this was no problem, but i can see this is going to be an interesting one. He even tried to suggest that it was down to my care that caused Onion's death.... Makes me so angry!

 

Anyway, right now I'm just pleased she's still with me... Let's hope she keeps it up.

 

Thank you again for all the lovely kind thoughts, I hope my boss is understanding... I have had to take the day off today to look after her. I hope he understands.

 

Will keep you updated..

 

Love me & Lil Rosemary xx

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Budgies All Knowing Superchicken

Budgies

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Hi Tanya, welcome to the forum! So sorry to hear that your chicken keeping endeavour is starting in such a difficult way, talk about in at the deep end!

 

Well done you on finding someone to provide the antibiotic that might save all your wee ones.

 

Good luck for Rosemary's recovery, we've got fingers and paws crossed here for you all. xx

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