3 week old chic having problems breathing.

[prodigalseer]

hello,

My 3 week old chick seems to have a problem breathing. I isolated her with a heat lamp. She was pooping ok, then got pasty butt. I cleaned her off, and she pooped out a small string of white. She didnt want to eat, and I forced her to drink a bit. She doesnt move much and lays down with her wings a bit open and when she breaths its through her mouth, gasping for air. I kept her inside for 4 days and today its 80% so I decided to put her with her mother. She doesnt folow her around very well. She'll run over to her and then sit down gasping, or not even attempt to get close. She does pic at food where he mother forages, but I havent seen her drink yet. She's much small than the other chicks, and her plumage isnt coming out well. If there is a medication for her simptoms, please send a link where I could purchase it.

Any ideas to help her would be great, thanks!

 

[prodigalseer]

She's begining to eat more, but still slow to move and still having breathing troubles.

 

[sammi]

"breathing troubles"?

any wheezing? or gurgling?mucus? wet or sticky eyes?

check the crop for any lump or grainy feeling.

check the vent and see if it is plugged up..some KY jelly or a little mineral oil might help..sounds constipated, backed up, or not eating.
make up a little water and molasses..
the white string is urates..without "pooh"..and the string shows it's blocked up..
you need to get it out.

what are you feeding this check?
giving chick vitamins?
what bedding are you using?
does it get chilly at night? any drafts?
at this age..should be kept at 85 degrees all the time, no dampness or drafts.
is the mother tending to the chick?
are there other chicks?
other adult chickens?

at this age, chicks should be on chick/starter feed all the time and nothing else except for chick vitamins and water.

 

[prodigalseer]

No weezing, gurgling, mucus, or watery eyes.
Her vent is clean.
I feed her dumors chick starter.
no vitamins. what should I use?
Chick was sleeping with her mother, I put her on wood shavings with a heat lamp.
Ther are no drafts.
I put her out with her mother today and she did take care of her.
there are other chicks doing very well and twice her size now.
ther are adult hens in the pen as well, but they werent placed together until the chicks were 2 weeks. I'm using a creeper feeder to feed the chicks. The mother hen takes them out to free range, and only recently has started to move her chicks towards where the older hens forage.

 

[sammi]

sounds like this chick needs some extra TLC..
try and get some chick vitamins..any hatchery, (such as McMurrays) or maybe farm/feed/livestock supply store will have them.
if you can't find them locally and have to order..
you can use Poly-vi-sol liquid baby vitamins, Enfamil brand, NO IRON..
give 3 drops on beak once a day for 2 days,
then 2 drops for 5 days,
taper off another few days up to a week.

check the crop..

check the nostrils and make sure they are clear.

is she making any normal droppings?
have you dipped the chick's beak in water?

I don't want to suggest an antibiotic till we know what the problem is.
so far..
the chick is gasping and has labored breathing
not making normal droppings..(string urates..sounds blocked to me)
not drinking
weak
I think the chick should be kept in a confined area with the other chicks, and mother hen, if possible, with chick feed easy to get to..
you might try moistening the feed with warm water for the weak chick..just puffy, ..add a little oil (olive or veg. and a teeny bit of molasses)


what are you using for waterers?
you can try giving water by drops on beak..

JMHO...the mother and chicks at this age should be separated from the other adults.
others might have different opinion..

 

[prodigalseer]

Thanks for the great advise. I just checked on her in the brooder, and she died. A good learning experiance for me as I'm new to chick hatching. I do think my mother hen and I did all we could.

 

[petrescuerz]

I'm sorry for your loss. It sounds like you did all you could for her. Some chicks just fail to thrive, for various reasons, at about the age your chick was. I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your flock! Enjoy your other babies while they are still small.