Posted October 24, 200816 yr I checked my boxes when I got home tonight and the little pied baby who is only two days old (the late hatcher, older siblings MUCH bigger) had an empty crop and looked very weak, so weak I originally thought it was dead. On closer inspection not dead but very weak. I tried putting it with another hen who completely ignored it, it was too weak to ask for food and wasn't being responsive to the hens offers at all. Being so tiny and me not having a crop needle yet I couldn't feed it so I did the only thing I could think of. Keeping it warm in my hands I made a mixture of budgie rearing mix and just a dash of lorikeet food (for a quick sugar kick) then I swished it around and sucked a little of the fluid into a normal syringe(no needle on the end), carefully I pushed it's little mouth open a touch and put the tiniest bit of the fluid in it's beak, after a second it swallowed it, I did this a couple of times until I could see a small amount in the crop. I was careful not to fill the crop as I wanted the baby to still be hungry for a proper feed. I moved the two older chicks from one of my hens who's a great mum and put him in on his own. Then I crossed my fingers!! I had to go out for the evening but I just got home and there is lots of chick noise coming from the box!!! I will see in the morning whether he is still kicking but the mix I gave him seems to have given him enough of a quick boost to give him the energy to beg for food again Edited October 25, 200816 yr by Neat
October 24, 200816 yr Great to hear - well done . Libby has a crop milk formula that she has posted which i have used very successfully too. I hope the little baby makes it for you
October 24, 200816 yr Author Tempered though by the fact that my tiniest crested chick (2 days old) also much younger than it's siblings died I have made a clutch of four in the pied nest with the four older chicks (2 pieds and 2 foster crested) and given the crested hen just the baby in trouble to care for. She is a very caring hen (despite the death of her smallest baby) she is always snuggled down with her bubs in the nest keeping them cosy and keeps them well fed so I'm hoping she may be just what the little one needs. The little crested one that died was near the entrance so may have been landed on awkwardly by parents entering the nest. Edited October 25, 200816 yr by Neat fixed up Typo's & Spelling
October 25, 200816 yr awww sorry to hear your crested one died... Hope the other little chick made it though... look forward to hearing the good news!!!
October 25, 200816 yr Author Unfortunately despite sounding alot better last night when I did a final check the little one had died this morning
October 25, 200816 yr Bugger Mate.... Sorry to hear .... But if we look on the bright side of it ..... You did all that you COULD! so don't be dis heartened .... Like Maes BIG HUGS MATE
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