Help, save my chick!

[Heather Adams]

I brought home four day old chicks on Sunday and this morning I found one of them wobbly on it’s feet, just wanting to lie down and sleep with a hard ball of poop on it’s bottom. I bathed it’s bottom and am trying to get it to drink but no idea what’s wrong as it was fine last night. Any suggestions of what I can do to help it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[AidKD]

Did you get the poop off? It sounds like pasty butt. You'll have to get it off asap. Keep dipping his bottom in water and working it off. Just be careful not to pull his butt out. Literally.

 

[Theorrin]

Did you get the poop off? It sounds like pasty butt. You'll have to get it off asap. Keep dipping his bottom in water and working it off. Just be careful not to pull his butt out. Literally.

to add to this try getting the baby to drink some water with added hydrohen or the like to help out

 

[Sunshine009]

Yup - sounds like pasty butt. Pretty common issue in chicks, caused by stress and dehydration. If you can carefully dropper feed some liquid without forcing it down its throat that is best. As others have said, carefully and slowly work off the crust. There are lots of tutorials out there on how to do it safely and effectively.

Keep an eye out on the others, too, just in case - they were all at some point kept in similar conditions and therefore may all be vulnerable. Best to catch it early. Good luck!

 

[AidKD]

How's the chicky doing?

 

[Heather Adams]

How's the chicky doing?

Sadly it died. I did my best for it but just didn’t make it.

 

[AidKD]

Sadly it died. I did my best for it but just didn’t make it.

I'm sorry! Hopefully all your others are doing okay?

 

[Heather Adams]

I'm sorry! Hopefully all your others are doing okay?

Yes! I’m keeping a close eye but they all seem ok! Thank you!

 

[AidKD]

Yes! I’m keeping a close eye but they all seem ok! Thank you!

Awsome! Sorry we weren't able to help more.

 

[Heather Adams]

Awsome! Sorry we weren't able to help more.

You were very helpful and I tried all your suggestions but maybe there was something else underlying. Thank you.