1 week old chick gaping - STILL NEED ADVICE PLEASE-see pg 3 for status

[verlaj]

Thanks for the responses, all.

I have separated the chick and put a little cockerel in there for company.

The chick is still alive - seems to be gaping a little less than at 1:45 a.m.! Still does the occasional coarse chirp.

Brooder is not too hot and the chick can move around to areas of the temp it prefers.

I added PolyViSol to the water this morning.

Everybody else still looks perfectly fine.

It is eating, though not voraciously, and drinking.

I will get duramycin to add to the water. Thanks - to be continued.

 

[verlaj]

The chick is still hanging in there, but still gaping. Just got home - got oxytetracycline for birds from PetSmart and will put it in the water now. The others still look perfect, so I will hold off on the antibiotics for them for now. Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[verlaj]

Sorry - new question. Instructions for Duramycin on the web are confusing. The dilution in drinking water ranges from 200 to 800 mg/gallon of water "per day." Duramycin is oxytetracycline. I got tetracycline for birds and the dose recommended for samll birds (canaries) is 250 mg/8 oz water, which is 2000 mg/gallon! They recommend double that for large birds (mynahs)!

I also got erythromycin, which they market for respiratory disease in birds.

Any thoughts on which drug would be the best bet and how to dose?

Thanks.

 

[ChickBond 007]

Sorry that I am no expert but here's what I did:
I bought the powdered duramyacin. I used 1 tsp to 1 gallon cold water. Makes a weak yellow colored water. It lasts only 8 hours before turning nasty brown.

 

[Renee]

I would not use an antibiotic on a chicken unless you have taken it to a vet and had a culture done.

Some chicken illnesses are fungal and antibiotics make them worse. Unless you know what you are dealing with, you may do the wrong thing.

Give her three drops of PolyViSol on her beak each day for a week and then taper off, and make sure she is eating enough. You can give her a little cooled scrambled egg if her appetite is not good.

Does she have some grit? Don't give them too much, they don't know how much to eat yet. If you are feeding chick mash you are not supposed to need grit, but maybe a little would help.

 

[Chic Chick]

I also have a 12 day old chick gaping and wheezing and every once in a while she'll stretch her neck up and chirp. I thought she had swallowed some bedding and gave her a few drops of olive oil. Then I saw this thread.....
If she's still alive in the morning I'll get something in town.....

 

[verlaj]

Status report this a.m. - the chick is still alive, still gaping slightly on inhalation, but somewhat better. Still eating and drinking, and all the other chicks still seem perfectly fine.

 

[Chic Chick]

I'm happy to say that my chick looked great this morning and wasn't wheezing any more. I watched her for a few hours just to make sure before I put her back in with the rest of them.

I'm glad I read the post about the olive oil....THANK YOU!!
Verlaj, I hope your chick recovers.....Good luck!

 

[verlaj]

That's good news! I wish mine had responded so well to olive oil!

 

[Renee]

It sounds like both of your chicks may be okay. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.