Chook special care baby unit

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bedifferent

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  • Location: Northamptonshire
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Chook special care baby unit
« on: May 28, 2009, 16:24 »
Well, i really am in uncharted chook keeping territory now!

My broody hen had got off her eggs at some time this morning and when i got back from work i found a chick in the shell breathing it's last. It was taking about one breath a minute, was very cold and as i say still in the egg with a bit of shell missing on the side.

I pulled the shell off and moved the chick onto my hand. Perfectly formed but cold as ice. I spent the next hour or so with it cupped in my hand breathing into my hand while my heat lamp warmed up. I then wrapped it in a flannel and placed it under the heat lamp. In the beginning it was only taking one large breath every 1 minute but gradually it started to breathe more rapidly and as the morning went on in has started to cheep, move about and fluff up. The little mite has managed to take some small drops of sugar water from a syringe and now all its limbs appear to be working fine and everything is doing what it is supposed to be doing.

However, the chick appears to be getting very tired very quickly and readily falls in a heap  after, say handling or an attempt at water. Can any of you think of anything else i should be doing to give it the best chance? Also, my plan would be to place back under broody in the dead of night ASAP, perhaps tomorrow - does this sound ok?

Thanks for you help.
If you do things well, do them better. Be daring, be first, be different, be just.

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Vember

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Re: Chook special care baby unit
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2009, 16:32 »
Hi BD

From my experience chicks that have been helped out don't have the bounce that non helped chicks have, seems to take them a good 24 hours to get up to full power. Obviously going cold wouldn't have helped that :(

Huge risk putting it back with mum in my opinion  if mum has left it once, think if it were me I'd do it during the day when I can keep a very close eye on things.
Is the little one chirping now? Hold it next to mum whilst it's chirping, what sort of a response is mum giving?

Sarah :)

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poppies

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Re: Chook special care baby unit
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2009, 16:59 »
Hi

   I agree would'nt risk putting it back with the hen, I would put it under a heat lamp I make "sock  mummies" for lone chicks a toweling sock rolled up into a u shape and put the chick against it,  seems to settle them, good luck



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