New Brown Leghorn chick looks likes shes panting!!! HELP PLEASE

Date sort Score sort
Chkinkeeper7474

Chkinkeeper7474

In the Brooder
Aug 18, 2015
70
8
39
So yesterday I got eight chicks,2 Brown Leghorns,4 Easter eggers,1 Gold Laced Wyandotte and a Golden comet. They where fine when I brought them home and I gave them a splash of apple cidar vinegar in their water to top it off. I checked on them this morning and the smallest of them,the leghorn,was panting like crazy! Her little body literally looked like it was convulsing. I dipped her head in the water and put up some shade. This may seem like she was just hot,but none of the others where panting at all..... Like I said I gave them some shade so Il check on them later... I just hope its nothing serious.......


UPDATE
She isnt opening her mouth but her little body still looks like its panting so hard! She is alert and eating and drinking!! Whats going on???? PLease any advice will be helpful!!
 
Last edited:
What is your brooder temperature? Panting normally means it's too hot. I usually put some sugar or electrolyte solution in my water, not vinegar, I would remove that for now.
 
If you are sure the brooder has plenty of space so the chicks can easily get out of the heat zone, and double check that while it's around 85-90F right under the heat source, it's a good fifteen to twenty degrees cooler in the rest of the brooder, then probably what you're seeing is a chick who has deeper respirations than the others.

It alarms some new chick keepers when they see an otherwise normal chick breathing very deeply. This is normal for chicks, and some do it even more obviously. Chicks are heavy breathers.

A chick that's in distress will be inactive, remaining in one spot overly long, maybe appearing to be half asleep. It won't be eating or drinking much, nor running around like the others. It's poop won't be like the others, but watery or none at all.

As long as the chick is behaving like all the rest, you can quit worrying.
 
Thanks guys! She is still breathing heavily,but just as active as the others,eating and drinking,with the exception of her being just a tad bit slower due to her huffing and puffing. And what type of sugar could i put in the water like a bit of honey?
 
I will put a teaspoon of brown sugar to a quart of water for the first week, to give some quick energy.
 
I've done that and I brought them outside today for a bit of fresh air. She seemed a bit more at ease,but still breathing so heavily. Hopefully the sugar water will give her a boost. Also the second Leghorn looks to be breathing a little heavy too. I plan on getting a bigger plastic bin for them tomorrow( they are in a bit of the small side of a cardboard box). Maybe it will increase airflow? I cleaned out their bedding in the hopes of cleaning it out often your ease her breathing too.
 
Fresh clean air is pretty important for chickens. They can get brooder pneumonia from too much ammonia. You need to have them warm enough but with good air exchange.
 

Similar threads

SamiJo_BB
One month old chick lethargic.
Replies
3
Views
364
SamiJo_BB
SamiJo_BB
Farmgirl283420
What will the chicks look like?
2 3
Replies
28
Views
2K
Farmgirl283420
Farmgirl283420
karenls50
    • Like
1 week old Chick dropped dead.
Replies
5
Views
579
karenls50
karenls50
J
2nd season baby chick mama
Replies
1
Views
272
SilverBirds
SilverBirds
Sliiiq
Sexing and determining breed of 6 week olds, and other questions
Replies
2
Views
498
nuthatched
nuthatched

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom