Author Topic: Baby Chick Trouble  (Read 3307 times)

Mitchell Taylor

  • ABC Members
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 33
    • View Profile
Baby Chick Trouble
« on: September 14, 2017, 09:20:17 PM »
We just received our order of baby Ameraucana chick's and while they all made it alive through the mail, one of our chicks is struggling. It can walk and get around ok but, lays on it's side quite a bit and rolls on its back sometimes and struggles rolling back over. We are making sure it is eating and drinking and have separated it from our group of ten trying to give it a better chance of survival since they (the other chicks) would run over top of it. We are currently supplementing their water with electrolytes trying to help them recover from shipment (9 out of 10 are doing well) along with providing free choice feed and are monitoring the brooder temperature to make sure we are at the correct temperature.

Any information or advice on this matter is appreciated.

Thanks

Mitch and Tiffany

Don

  • ABC Members
  • Ameraucana Guru II
  • *
  • Posts: 1189
    • View Profile
Re: Baby Chick Trouble
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2017, 11:43:00 PM »
Mitchell, Shipping is difficult on chicks even in the best conditions. Its not given that they are treated carefully along their journey.  I am not sure how far they traveled or the weather conditions where they traveled.  I would suspect that one chick was just not as strong as the others when the trip started. It sounds like you have them on fortified water and probably good Start and Grow.  You might make sure it is fine enough for them to pick up and swallow. I have added ground rolled oats to the mix at the beginning too.  Give them a chance to get settled and hopefully you will have good luck with the majority of the chicks. 
Don Cash
Matthew 4:9