Need help/advice with a 3 week old Brahma chick.

Solaire

In the Brooder
Oct 25, 2023
3
3
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Hello all, 3 pictures are attached. One is during her partial prolapse, the other after a bath and the last after shes all cleaned and dried up.

I have been scouring this website gathering every bit of information I can find on the subject but nothing seems to be working with my little Kate over here. She is a 3 week old Brahma. She is constipated SO SO badly.

I first noticed what I thought was pasty butt, so I cleaned her up and observed, I noticed that she was really straining to poop, so much so that she has a partial prolapse trying to push. Luckily it all goes back in once she is able to pass the stool. This seemed to have caused the vent to get extremely red and swollen with vent gleet, a semi constant leak of a white substance from the vent. So I did and continue to do warm vent soaks which she is growing to love and falling asleep during. This eventually got worse as a sort of yellow scabby crust covered the edged of her vent. I just kept cleaning her as necessary making sure to air dry her with a hair dryer on the low setting.

I applied coconut oil for the first few days after reading about it here but it didn't seem to be helping her irritation or the bowels passing through her vent. I read about preparation H and used that for a few days once a day and it really did help with all the irritation, vent gleet and all the scabbing. Now we're about 9 days into this "healing" process and on one hand im relieved to see her vent back to a normal, non-scabby pink color; but for the life of me I can't get her constipation issues under control and I worry that many more days of straining might lead to a full on prolapse or another infection / vent gleet episode. She's also constantly pecking at her own vent but not very aggresively as there is no sign of legions or damage from pecking, its more like shes preening the feathers directly around the vent rather than pecking the vent skin.

Shes super energetic and eats debatably too much since shes constipated. I have observed her drinking water but I don't think she's drinking nearly enough and I make sure to dip her beak multiple times a day and after every bath to make sure shes staying hydrated. Here's all the things I have done and my set up.

I am using an old large dog crate as the brooder with aspen shavings, using a medication chick starter feed, I have two water feeders, one with a blend of both save-a-chicks the electrolyte / probiotic. In the other feeder I offer spring chicken immune glow with ACV mixed into it. Today marks the 3rd week so I have the temperature dialed in with a heat lamp at 85 degrees with plenty of space for them to move if it gets too hot.

I have given her soaks, air drying, coconut oil administerd on the vent, preperation H on the vent, I have fed her a wet mash slop with the chick starter which they all loved, I have offered Yogurt which she wouldnt touch, I offered egg yolks which she ate some of and I have fed her coconut oil chips. All of this has been spread out over a week. The coconut oil worked two days ago really well but then the next day she was blocked up. Today I tried the coconut oil again and it seemed to do nothing to help. I just got some Banixx for Chixx today so I sprayed down a q-tip and applied that today after her last bath. At this rate im giving her about 2-3 soaks a day depending on how badly her poop gets stuck on the way out. Luckily she has been able to pass them all with a little assistance or straining over night while im not there to help out.

I'm at a complete loss and the information seems sparse. How often are you to feed the oil? Once a day, a week, a month? Ive read about epsom salts as a laxative, Ive read about molasses as a laxative but theres no information. How much? How often? Is an enema the next step?

Tomorrow I plan on making scrambled eggs and water and feeding it to her.

TLDR; 3 Week old chick is constipated, the heat seems right and her 9 sisters are all beaming and healthy. Ive tried baths, coconut oil, preperation H, ACV, Save-a-chick, Banixx. I've been able to heal the inflamation and vent gleet but the constipation remains which is causing partial prolapsing. Need help with dosing coconut oil, molasses or epsom salt water; or, any other methods that will help her loosen up and fully heal.
 

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I applied coconut oil for the first few days after reading about it here but it didn't seem to be helping her irritation or the bowels passing through her vent. I read about preparation H and used that for a few days once a day and it really did help with all the irritation, vent gleet and all the scabbing.

I can't get her constipation issues under control and I worry that many more days of straining might lead to a full on prolapse or another infection / vent gleet episode. She's also constantly pecking at her own vent

I have two water feeders, one with a blend of both save-a-chicks the electrolyte / probiotic. In the other feeder I offer spring chicken immune glow with ACV mixed into it.
Welcome To BYC

I'd provide fresh plain water, cut out the electrolytes/immune glow and acv. Some chicks don't drink very well with a bunch of additives in the water.

Offer the chick wet chick starter and give her coconut oil orally. Give 1/4-1/2tsp twice a day.

Soaking in epsom salts may help reduce the swelling. Keep the ointment on the vent to help with irritation.
Hopefully she will be able to poop a little better by eating wet feed.
 
Welcome To BYC

I'd provide fresh plain water, cut out the electrolytes/immune glow and acv. Some chicks don't drink very well with a bunch of additives in the water.

Offer the chick wet chick starter and give her coconut oil orally. Give 1/4-1/2tsp twice a day.

Soaking in epsom salts may help reduce the swelling. Keep the ointment on the vent to help with irritation.
Hopefully she will be able to poop a little better by eating wet feed.
Thank you!

So far so good, actually right after posting this I saw her go up to the water and take 8 of the biggest drinks I've ever seen her take. I ended up giving them some scrambled eggs cooked in coconut oil then mashed them and added water to the surface of the eggs. They absolutely went crazy! I made sure to feed Kate separately first so she didn't have to bother with the frenzy. Then after that switched out there starter with a wet mash starter.

This morning she did have struggle pooping but the prolapse was protruding significantly less, so I soaked and then during her drying she had an really nice loose stool that came out effortlessly. Unfortunately she still had a minor minor prolapse than I assisted her pushing back in though she would have handled it herself I'm sure. I replaced the wet starter and will keep them on that for about a week even if it means looser stools for all.

I replaced the Save-A-Chick but kept the immune glow/acv for now as they genuinely do enjoy it. Currently waiting on the coconut oil to freeze because it seems she wont touch it unless its in chips. Fingers crossed Kate will be on the mend from here! She's such a sweetie!
 

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