Diseased chick is swollen and transparent! Help!

[AriadneCastro]

The chick has been ill with a respiratory problem and its head was swollen on one side. I first thought one of the bigger one pecked him, but maybe that wasn't the case. A week went by and it showed some improvement, I thought he would make it but yesterday everything changed again. Now, the poor chick is swollen all over the body, especially on the head and, when I held it against the light, it's looking somewhat transparent, as if full of water!! I have never seen such a thing and really don't know what to do! I don't have access to a vet and the internet isn't helping

 

[Eggcessive]

How old is the chick? Has it been on antibiotics? This sounds like a leaking air sac (subcutaneous emphysema) which can happen from a blow to the neck or chest, or from infection in the air sacs. Is the chick having labored breathing, gasping, or a click sound when it breathes? You can try to puncture the air sac with an 18 gauge needle, and press out the air. It may take more than one stick, and the air can come back, needing this to be repeated. Hold you finger over the puncture site to help it seal for a minute after pulling the needle out. Here is some reading about this to help:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/223/subcutaneous-emphysema/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/171121/deflating-subcutaneous-emphysema
http://www.ijasvm.com/ijasvmadmin/upload/IJASVM_5113cbc51d31b.pdf

 

[AriadneCastro]

Thank you for the reply, Eggcessive. After looking at the pictures, I believe this must have been it. Unfortunately, the information came too late... The chick died yesterday

At least I'll know what to do if it happens again in the future.

Meanwhile, I'm still having the problem with my Silkie, who is STILL alive. Please, can you have a look at this thread?? No replies until now and the poor thing is still totally depressed. I'm afraid I'm going to lose my favorite hen...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1116266/help-i-have-a-traumatized-silkie-pullet

 

[Eggcessive]

I'm sorry for your loss. I would follow the advice of Wyorp Rock to give vitamin E and selenium, and you can find those both in Poultry Nutri-Drench or Poultry Cell Liquid--give her 1/2 ml daily. It's unfortunate that she was injured by the rooster. I have had silkies and smaller bantams in a mixed flock with roosters, and occasionally a juvenile cockerel will attempt to mate young ones or bantams. They should be separated until you are certain the rooster is gentle. My little old English bantam hen will usually scoot away when the bigger chickens come near, but she sometimes squats for my head rooster. He acts like he is mating her, but he doesn't even touch her since she is about 12 times smaller than he is. Your silkie should hopefully get better, and learn to be cautious. I hope with some vitamins, good food, and some TLC that she will get back to her little self. If the rooster injures anyone else or is overly rough with the hens, I would get rid of him.

 

[AriadneCastro]

I'm sorry for your loss. I would follow the advice of Wyorp Rock to give vitamin E and selenium, and you can find those both in Poultry Nutri-Drench or Poultry Cell Liquid--give her 1/2 ml daily. It's unfortunate that she was injured by the rooster. I have had silkies and smaller bantams in a mixed flock with roosters, and occasionally a juvenile cockerel will attempt to mate young ones or bantams. They should be separated until you are certain the rooster is gentle. My little old English bantam hen will usually scoot away when the bigger chickens come near, but she sometimes squats for my head rooster. He acts like he is mating her, but he doesn't even touch her since she is about 12 times smaller than he is. Your silkie should hopefully get better, and learn to be cautious. I hope with some vitamins, good food, and some TLC that she will get back to her little self. If the rooster injures anyone else or is overly rough with the hens, I would get rid of him.

The products you mention are not available in my country, but I found a vitamin supplement that includes vitamin E, selenium and a number of other ingredients. I'm adding it to the wet food, along with some herbs and fruits (lemon balm, honeysuckle, licorice, strawberries and loquats).

About the rooster, I don't think he is the aggressive type... Even though he is much bigger than everyone else in the coop, he has never attacked any other chick. Even at feeding time, when he wants all out of the way, I never saw him using excessive force. He pecks once, the chick moves, he carries on feeding. Doesn't seem to be a bully, but time will tell. In any case, the little one is now with her friends in a secluded area of the enclosure, away from his attention.

I'm wondering, why didn't he go after the older hens? There must be a reason... I mean, they are also very young but closer to maturity (adult voices, redder faces, squat when I grab them) plus the fact that they all came from the same flock, they are used to being together. Could this be a strange case of avian infatuation?