1wk old chick wheezing! Please HELP!

[StephenieR]

I brought in my 1 week old chicks today to spend a little quality time with them, and noticed my baby barred rock was wheezing and had a naked belly. No pecking order has been established yet and she just seems weak and tired. I am going to bring her in and watch her but I'm not sure what to do at this point.
Feed store trip in the morning, what do I get???

 

[StephenieR]

She seems to be doing much better today. She had one small and a very large movement this morning and was perched on her food bowl when I got up. She is drinking but eating is still just picking more than eating. She isn't wheezing as badly today and she's peeping at me so I think she's feeling better.

 

[StephenieR]

Well, if anyone cares...
She is still wheezing and sneezing, but she is active.
I put her back in with her flock and am treating them all with duramycin-10 for the next few days. If her wheezing doesn't stop, I don't know what to do besides find a vet that will work with her/me.
They are all 2 weeks this weekend. And are starting to become extremely flighty and love to scratch.
I did however get a few thoughts on the bedding being a possible cause. I noticed a few babies were eating the seedlings in the hay and part of it was getting stuck until they ate more and helped it go down. I moved out the hay and put in only pine bedding, where they had a mix before. I'll wait until they are out in the coop to give them hay again...
Any thoughts?

 

[MissusC]

I know next to nothing about chickens as I just got my first flock, but I hope your baby is feeling better soon.

 

[cary 1973]

You may want to put paper towels over shavings. Hope your chick feels better

 

[Erica]

Hi StephanieR,
wheezing could happen from something getting stuck in the throat, but I think you've already picked that it may be a respiratory disease (hence the Duramycin).

I wouldn't have started antibiotics myself just yet, as it may mask other symptoms without completely removing underlying germ causes (if there is one there, e.g. mycoplasma gallisepticum) and it certainly won't help if the disease agent is a virus (or if it's a grass seed stuck). On the other hand you obviously don't want to lose her, so that's your choice.

If it was my bird, I'd probably remove her to a warm spot where I can observe her and so she doesn't transmit anything, and check for runny nose, sneezing, rattles, gurgles or other respiratory signs (e.g. wet area under the wings of a morning, after sleeping with her head tucked there). I'd also watch for signs of coccidiosis (going off feed is the first symptom; then you see listlessness, droopy wings, hunched appearance; often there's blood in the droppings but not always). She may need treatment with Sulmet or Corid, but I emphasise 'may'.

These are just my initial thoughts, not an expert by any mean,
cheers
Erica

 

[StephenieR]

She has no runny eyes or nose, and her bowels are a little weak for a chick her age but I did put her in the house for a night and she had no blood in her stool. I was pretty cautious and did a lot of searching because my initial post was not responded to until now. I want to have her checked for a blockage because honestly I think that's what it might be, but I wanted to treat with anti-biotic just in case it wasn't.
Thanks

 

[StephenieR]

You may want to put paper towels over shavings. Hope your chick feels better

Why paper towels? Is Pine shavings not safe for them at 2 weeks old?

 

[RebekahTN]

I know this is an old post, but I am going to respond to the question because it still pulls up in searches when others have the same question. You would put paper towels over the shavings to keep them from eating them until they figure out what is and what is not food. You don't want to use newspapers on top because they are to slippery and can cause splay leg. I usually put newspapers down for the absorbency and padding the first few weeks with thick paper towels on top.

Hope your baby was ok. Sounds like it may have been eating something it shouldn't from what you said.