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baby chick emergency!

post #1 of 23
Thread Starter 

Hey guys! 

 

New chick mom here. I have 3 chicks; Two 2-3 weeks olds and one around 1 week old. The one week old seemed to be perfectly fine yesterday. Today upon arriving home I found her squatting down, eyes closed, semi labored breathing. She keeps opening her mouth just the tiniest bit when she breaths and I can here a clicking tik tik noise. Then she will have an "attack" and shake her head and make a really loud chirp/hickup/sneeze noise. She will only lay under the light. They have immaculate living conditions.

I put a drop or two of oil down her throat but nothing seems to be helping! I'm sad and clueless. The other chicks are perfectly fine.

post #2 of 23
did you check her nostrils to see if they are plugged?

Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Light , Speckled, and Silver Sussex, Silkies, Black Australorps, Wheaten Ameraucana roos over assorted color Easter Eggers ,White EE , Polish, Buff and Dark Brahmas,BBS Cochins, both BB and LF, Buff Sebrights, OEG  (Mille fleur colored)&Ameraucanas(LF).Black Japs. The hens are laying!Check out my auctions on BSA for chicken  hatching eggs.

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Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Light , Speckled, and Silver Sussex, Silkies, Black Australorps, Wheaten Ameraucana roos over assorted color Easter Eggers ,White EE , Polish, Buff and Dark Brahmas,BBS Cochins, both BB and LF, Buff Sebrights, OEG  (Mille fleur colored)&Ameraucanas(LF).Black Japs. The hens are laying!Check out my auctions on BSA for chicken  hatching eggs.

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post #3 of 23
Thread Starter 

No she's not plugged up. She just wants to be held so that's what i'm doing. It's almost like she can't breath through her nose so she has to do so through her mouth. She is eating from our hands but will not drink any water. She also seems pretty low energy.

post #4 of 23

Good Luck!

I'm an old coot, but happy just the same.
Do something: lead, follow, or get out of the way!
Keeper of 200+ Chickens and other fowl and 3 LGs and a Sportsman 1202 full most of the time.

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I'm an old coot, but happy just the same.
Do something: lead, follow, or get out of the way!
Keeper of 200+ Chickens and other fowl and 3 LGs and a Sportsman 1202 full most of the time.

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post #5 of 23

Are you using medicated feed????  She sounds like she may have a vitamin deficiency - is her head tilted to the sky or side.   This often indicates the need for more vitamin E and selinium....you can use about 2 drops of baby human vitamins but none with IRON in it. 

 

Praying she will be better.  Farmer Nancy

Remember God's sunshine in your heart.We sell vegetables,goats, bunnies,hatching eggs/babies: turkeys, chinese geese, ducks,guineas,lavendar ameraucanas,lavendar orpingtons,bbs & white & partridge silkies,coronation sussex,Speckled sussex,Black Copper Marans,BBS Marans,Welsummers,wheaten marans,bbs orpingtons, delawares, ee,red star on a small Bowdon/GA farm    see what we raise & sell on our...

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Remember God's sunshine in your heart.We sell vegetables,goats, bunnies,hatching eggs/babies: turkeys, chinese geese, ducks,guineas,lavendar ameraucanas,lavendar orpingtons,bbs & white & partridge silkies,coronation sussex,Speckled sussex,Black Copper Marans,BBS Marans,Welsummers,wheaten marans,bbs orpingtons, delawares, ee,red star on a small Bowdon/GA farm    see what we raise & sell on our...

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post #6 of 23

It could be any number of problems. Has the chick been feeding or drinking atall? Have you checked the crop on the chick?

post #7 of 23
Thread Starter 

Her crop is fine. I gave her some more oil before bed last night and she seemed better this morning (eating, drinking, digging). However, I have been at work all day and my boyfriend said she is still doing the mouth breathing/tik thing. The feed I have them all on right now is "Poultry Extreme Feed" which is what the people at the feed store I purchased the chicks from recommended. I am starting to think it is not the best and am going to another feed store tomorrow to pick up a more specific medicated chick food seeing as I am unsure whether this is medicated and the best choice. 

In regards to her head, it is slightly tilted but she moves it around a lot. 

Thanks so much for your help so far! 

post #8 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by veglover View Post

Her crop is fine. I gave her some more oil before bed last night and she seemed better this morning (eating, drinking, digging). However, I have been at work all day and my boyfriend said she is still doing the mouth breathing/tik thing. The feed I have them all on right now is "Poultry Extreme Feed" which is what the people at the feed store I purchased the chicks from recommended. I am starting to think it is not the best and am going to another feed store tomorrow to pick up a more specific medicated chick food seeing as I am unsure whether this is medicated and the best choice. 

In regards to her head, it is slightly tilted but she moves it around a lot. 

Thanks so much for your help so far! 



 What kind of bedding are they on?  because cedar will cause breathing problems in chicks. Hope she perks up and gets through this.. fl.gif

Living in the Beautiful Mountains of Western N.C.. with 23 chickens, various breeds, 12Muscovy ducks, 1Emden Gander and a wonderful Husband who makes it all possible..♥


 `~`~  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=mBcqria2wmg  `~`~  Listen♥

Patti 

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Living in the Beautiful Mountains of Western N.C.. with 23 chickens, various breeds, 12Muscovy ducks, 1Emden Gander and a wonderful Husband who makes it all possible..♥


 `~`~  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=mBcqria2wmg  `~`~  Listen♥

Patti 

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post #9 of 23
Thread Starter 

They are all on pine and I'm starting to think it is a respiratory problem. We got some VetRx and put the chicks on what we know is for sure medicated starter feed today. We also placed a few drops of the VetRx around the bedding and under the wings of the little sick chick because the feed store advised us not to give it to her orally since she is so little. 

I'm just looking for some opinions on what to do at this point. She seems to do better in the mornings but gets her "click" back, and "breath" through her mouth, in the afternoon and at night. 

How does the BYC community feel about VetRx? AND, is there anything else I should be doing to bring her back up to her chirpy self, ie antibiotics? 

post #10 of 23
I had a chick that did thiso, but she only lasted a day. I hope you have much better luck!!
I've got two loving parents, a crazy little sister, Two tailess fullgrown puppys, One nutty polish Pullet, two EE Hens, a black banty cochin hen, and a white Banty Cochin Pullet!! and a fat grey cat who runs it all!
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I've got two loving parents, a crazy little sister, Two tailess fullgrown puppys, One nutty polish Pullet, two EE Hens, a black banty cochin hen, and a white Banty Cochin Pullet!! and a fat grey cat who runs it all!
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