Baby chick gasps for air after drinking water?

[quaileelover]

I have just hatched a little quail, she was the only one to hatch out of 6 eggs. shes 5 days old, but ive noticed when she drinks water she gasps for a while, but only if shes laying down, but she gets up and runs around fine, and the gasping slowly subsides. I dont know if this is something serious. Its only after she drinks water, and she drinks it on her own. Other than that she runs around all the time and is super active.

 

[AltonaAcres]

I had a bantam cochin chick that did that too, but he grew out of it

 

[dorawinifred]

Could be her trying to swallow, it looks a lot like gasping when they do it. Does she stretch her mouth open wide?

 

[quaileelover]

Could be her trying to swallow, it looks a lot like gasping when they do it. Does she stretch her mouth open wide?

yeah, but she does it for like a full minute. Like it kinda looked like what one of my chicks did before they passed away, so it kinda worried me. But she always gets up and starts running around after.

 

[Pandaisy]

One of my hens did the same thing as a chick when drinking water, I have no idea why. She is still alive and healthy. I would just monitor her for now.

 

[FloorCandy]

yeah, but she does it for like a full minute. Like it kinda looked like what one of my chicks did before they passed away, so it kinda worried me. But she always gets up and starts running around after.

I’ve seen my chicks do this, and they outgrew it. I know exactly what you mean about how it looks like before one passes. When they are close to the end, you will see many animals do that gasping, (it has a name but it escapes me) I think it’s when all higher brain functions are gone, and autopilot is failing, for lack of a better explanation. If you watch the movements of your healthy chick who is probably swallowing or adjusting it’s crop, you will see normal respiration in between. With a dying chick you will not.

 

[Quailobsessed]

Some birds have weird drinking habits. I have a chicken who dunks her whole head in the water to drink!