Emergency chick need help!

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Eps32

Eps32

Songster
Dec 22, 2015
597
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North Carolina
So I got 32 chicks in the mail yesterday. I woke up this mourning and one of the little ones looked dead. At closer look he was alive. It looks like he got stepped on and pooped on and way laying wet by the waterer. So I'm guessing the other chicks would step in the water and then step on him. I put him in one of my incubators to dry off. But he's laying on his side breathing heavily. When I picked him up he chirped and walked on his feet. When I put him in the incubator he walked around for a bit then just layed down. He's still breathing right now. Now should I face the inevitable or do you think he has a chance. I don't want to put him out of his misery but I will if it's the last resort. I've never had to cull a chick seeing I just started with chicks a few months ago. And haven't lost really any in this way (half alive). If and only if putting him down is the option what's the most humane way of doing so where there would be no suffering. Any help would be great thanks everyone.
 
I almost forgot to mention when he came in the mail his vent did not look right. It was wet and gooy. I cleaned it up with a warm paper towel. And made sure it's vent was open. But it wouldn't seem to dry up.
 
Last edited:
Eps32 said:
So I got 32 chicks in the mail yesterday. I woke up this mourning and one of the little ones looked dead. At closer look he was alive. It looks like he got stepped on and pooped on and way laying wet by the waterer. So I'm guessing the other chicks would step in the water and then step on him. I put him in one of my incubators to dry off. But he's laying on his side breathing heavily. When I picked him up he chirped and walked on his feet. When I put him in the incubator he walked around for a bit then just layed down. He's still breathing right now. Now should I face the inevitable or do you think he has a chance. I don't want to put him out of his misery but I will if it's the last resort. I've never had to cull a chick seeing I just started with chicks a few months ago. And haven't lost really any in this way (half alive). If and only if putting him down is the option what's the most humane way of doing so where there would be no suffering. Any help would be great thanks everyone.
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Warm the chick up with a hair dyer. Once warm, give it some plain yogurt and make sure it drinks.

If possible, it would be a good idea to move it into a second brooder with a couple of the calmer chicks for a day or two.
 
Your chick definitely has problems, but it's worth a try to try to save it.

First, after warming the chick, try tepid sugar water. Just dribble a drop at a time along side its beak with your finger dipped in the water.

If that revives the chick, then boil an egg, finely mince the yolk and white separately, and try feed each to the chick. If it shows no interest in the food, try putting another chick in with this one. Usually seeing another chick eat will stimulate the interest necessary to get the sick one interested.

Later on, crumbled tofu, if the yogurt doesn't work, works a lot of the time.
 
Ok so the blow dryer is drying him up he's opening his eyes and moving chirping he's drinking the sugar water now he has dried up feather that seem to be very stuck together what can I do about that he has no fluff
 
Eps32 said:
Ok so the blow dryer is drying him up he's opening his eyes and moving chirping he's drinking the sugar water now he has dried up feather that seem to be very stuck together what can I do about that he has no fluff
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The goo will come off later as the goo dries. If it makes it until tomorrow, you can wash it and then dry again to get what is left off.

The important thing is to make sure the vent is open--The chick will die if it cannot poo.


Look up pasty butt and watch for it with the chicks. It is very common with shipped chicks that have been stressed.
 
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ronott1 said:
The goo will come off later as the goo dries. If it makes it until tomorrow, you can wash it and then dry again to get what is left off.

The important thing is to make sure the vent is open--The chick will die if it cannot poo. 


Look up pasty butt and watch for it with the chicks. It is very common with shipped chicks that have been stressed.
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I just want to let you know I appreciate you help so much I'm a big tough man but hate to see things suffer I checked all there butts this mourning found some fried poop and cleaned there vents I'll stay up all day and night if I have to to nurse this chick back to health thanks again
 
Well, even the big and tough are helpless around baby chicks. They just have that power over us humans.

Keep feeding the chick the sugar water, making sure it's tepid and not cold, and after you see it's walking around, try the minced boiled egg white first and then the yolk.

If the chick is chirping and seems like it's going to stay upright, place it back with its buddies. That's the best stimulus to get a chick interested in food. But keep a close eye on it to make sure it's strong enough not to get knocked over by the others and walked on. If that happens, you need to separate it again. It's important for a chick to remain with the rest if possible, since it gets it's sense of well being from being close to and touching the other chicks.

That it's responding to the sugar water is a very good sign. Keep up the good work!
 
How's your baby today? just wanted to say I sure hope the little guy makes it!! you all are are in my thoughts and prayers. ♡
 

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