Someone has got to know why my chick smells sour

[amanda1]

I have read a lot of posts on here where someone complains that their chick smells like sour milk, grain, or something else. We have a brood of 4 and one smells awful, enough to make you gag. They are 3 weeks old and she has smelled for a couple of weeks, but otherwise behaves normally. I just got some Braggs apple cider vinegar yesterday and am putting some in their water. But I cannot find anything online about 3 week old chicks with sour crop. There doesn't seem to be any definitive answers here about what the cause is, or a cure. I also started giving them grit, even though they are on purina medicated feed and supposedly don't need it. It's possible they all ingested some small pieces of wood chips before we switched their bedding. Their crops all feel the same. Otherwise I am at a loss as to this seemingly somewhat common problem. None of the local chicken experts I know have experienced this either. Could someone who maybe had this issue in the past help me?

 

[aart]

Not sure what to tell you, but I wouldn't use anything unless you know what the problem is definitively.
If the chick is eating, drinking, pooping, and active..... the smell could just be an anomaly.

 

[casportpony]

Can you take it to a vet and have the vet check it for yeast?

-Kathy

 

[amanda1]

I have t been able to find a local vet that sees chickens. I have been using the raw ACV in their water for 8 days now. She still has a mild yeasty smell coming from her beak, but the smell has definitely lessened within the last week. I have been trying unsuccessfully to get probiotics into her. All I could find locally was a gel form, which I have tried putting on crumbles, or administering directly without any luck.

 

[casportpony]

I have t been able to find a local vet that sees chickens. I have been using the raw ACV in their water for 8 days now. She still has a mild yeasty smell coming from her beak, but the smell has definitely lessened within the last week. I have been trying unsuccessfully to get probiotics into her. All I could find locally was a gel form, which I have tried putting on crumbles, or administering directly without any luck.

If you really think it's yeast you could try some Nystatin.
http://www.allbirdproducts.com/newproductpages/AB10232.html





-Kathy

 

[amanda1]

How do you typically administer this to a 4 week old that is in with other chicks? I am afraid separating her would cause her undue stress. She freaks out if she is away from the rest even for a minute. Thank you for this post, I didn't realize there was something made specifically for birds with yeast infections.

 

[casportpony]

Get yourself a digital kitchen scale and start weighing the one that smells off, and another normal one. If the one that smell bad is sick, it won't gain as much weight as the other one. Make sense?

-Kathy

 

[amanda1]

Yes, good idea. She is not smelling as bad, but still a yeasty smell is coming from her beak. It's almost like its on her breath, but I would think if it were a lung issue, she'd have other symptoms.

 

[casportpony]

If mine look and act 100% normal, and are gaining the proper % of weight per day, I don't medicate.

-Kathy

 

[amanda1]

That's is why I have my concerns about using meds. Have you experienced the yeasty smell in any of your flock, without other symptoms?