Hatchery chick arrived cold, w/ pasty butt--almost nonresponsive

Date sort Score sort
Annalea

Annalea

Hatching
6 Years
Jun 19, 2013
8
0
9
We received 40 chicks today, all but one is thriving. The cockerel that isn't thriving was distinctly cool when I picked him up out of the shipping box, has poop stuck to his vent, and hasn't responded much at all to anything I've tried. His eyes have been closed all but a couple of times for just a second. As I've tried to clean his vent, the dropping is adhered to/tangled with some of his vent tissue. The poop is hard as a rock. I've cared for pasty butt before, but this is much more dried.

I'm just holding him against my chest right now, hoping he'll be comfortable . . . should I just put him down? It's not my first choice, but seems like he's in bad shape. :(

Just wanting too clarify: the rest of the chicks are doing fantastically. It's just this little guy.
 
Last edited:
Sorry your little guy is not doing well.

Not quite sure what to tell you. Any chance you can get some electrolytes or sugar water into him and put a little triple antibiotic ointment on his pasty butt? Obviously you do not want him to suffer, but I understand that you want to give him the best chance at a good life.

Please let us know if he responds to anything else you try.
 
I'll try to get him to drink again, and put him under the heat lamp. And pray . . .

Thanks, folks.
 
He stopped breathing within three minutes of me putting him down, at the edge of the light. :(

We also had one more, much healthier-looking Old English Game Hen, die. The little thing was also the smallest of her breed, though, and I wonder if these two just got really cold in transit. The evenings up here in the Inland NW have been pretty chilly lately.

Fingers crossed that the rest do okay . . .
 
So sorry he did not make it. Shipping, regardless of temps can be hard on chicks, so it obviously wasn't anything that you did, or didn't do. You tried your best. I will also cross my fingers that the rest of your chicks thrive.
 

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