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Birds--General/hand feeding 2 day old chick with splayed leg

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Expert: Abi - 2/9/2009


Question
should i and if so how and how offen do i hand feed a 2 day old chick.
the chick has spayed leg which we are treating but it still does not seem to want to sit up or move.
it is in the brooder with 2 other chicks. we have tried it on the mesh of the brooder, on kitchen paper and now on paper with wood chipens on top.
this is are first brood of chicks and would so like to help all of them survie as our 2 year old daughter has all ready named them.
Thank you

Answer
Hello Emma,

I don't mean to be harsh, but do you really think it is kind to keep a malformed and poorly chick alive when it's quality of life is severely compromised? If it cannot sit up and move at 2 days old there really isn't much of a chance for it, so I would suggest you try to find a way to break it gently to your daughter.


Thanks for your question.

Birds--General

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Abi

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I CAN'T ANSWER QUESTIONS ON ANIMALS OTHER THAN CHICKENS/DUCKS/GEESE- I WILL TRY BUT THEY ARE NOT MY SPECIALIST SUBJECT- PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT BUDGIES, FINCHES, PARROTS, COCKATIELS OR OTHER 'EXOTIC' BIRDS. I can answer questions on pretty much all CHICKEN breeds, including fancy and bantam birds. I can give advice on how to get the best egg production, brightest yolk colours and darkest egg shell colours, breeding (using broody hens, not incubators), bird problems/illnesses. I can give advice on all aspects of basic chicken care but I breed chickens for my own pleasure only, I do not often show or sell my birds.

Experience

I own and breed a wide range of chickens, but I speciallise in cochins and crevecour bantams; crevecours have a large crest (an afro!) so I can answer questions on problems concerning them; cochins have feathered legs, which leads to no end of problems which I have experienced! I also own a large flock of domestic, rescued 'battery' hens, and a single maran hen, Hilda, who is the matriarch of her flock, so I can give advice on how to get the best colour of maran eggs!

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