4 week old chick looks sick

[Wiljay]

It's opening and closing it's mouth and jutting it's head forward. At first I thought he might be hot or thirsty, but everything is fine in the brooder. All the other chicks are also fine. They get all the fresh water they can stand. They live on pine shaving. They are fed chick starter feed and are supplemented with the "glop" about once a week. I also throw in some chick grit every four or five days. No pasty butt or watery eyes or nose on the chick in question. It just seems to be dry heaving constantly and it will lay it's head down likes it's falling asleep (or dying). When I pick it up it appears lively, but has a more drawn-out, low pitched chirp compared the rest of the chicks. The crop feels fine too.

Anyone have any clues as to what might be bothering this chick?

 

[valentinebaby]

Do a search for "gaping mouth" - I've seen several posts on this, but can't remember what the problem was. I had one that did that, but I think it's cuz she got jammed on the bottom of the pile when they got too cold! She's fine now and is one of my friendliest girls!

 

[Wiljay]

Thanks for the reply. My wife just called to tell me it died, along with another that had been wobbly but appeared to be getting better.

 

[threehorses]

What temperature are you keeping them at? They should be around 80 degrees. It could be heat.

Definitely check the rest of the chicks to make sure they're all a good cool temperature in the brooder (since it's summer) - around 80 to 85, no more than 90 ambient temp. Make sure they're all fat, their droppings are good, and no one's being bullied away from the brooder.

I'm assuming the glop contains yogurt, which is good. If you see any other even slightly 'iffy' chicks, will you let us know? Maybe we can catch something in time.

 

[Wiljay]

Thanks Threehorses,

I haven't seen any bullying, I also haven't seen any problems with poop other than I see a little starting to stick to one or two's rear end. I think the temps are fine, I don't know exactly since my thermometer broke.

I have an Orpington that isn't thriving like the rest. She's a lot smaller and less energetic, I'm starting to worry about her since I just lost two chicks yesterday. Also, one of the Rocks has a lot of food in it's crop compared to the others. It doesn't yet seem like a ridiculous amount, but it's a lot more than the rest of his brooder mates.
I'm giving them Poly Vi sol in the water and trying to get some into the smaller chicks.

 

[threehorses]

Pasty butt can also be an indication, at this point, of temperatures being off. Temperature really is important - I would recommend getting a new thermometer.

And by the way, please give polyvisol in the mouth - not the water - or you lose it's effect. Vitamins exposed to light (in water) quickly degrade, and the vitamins in polyvisol are mainly oil vitamins - you don't want to give those in water. It's like throwing them away. Give in the food, in the quickly eaten glop (make a smaller portion that you know will go in 10 minutes) instead. But best to give individually.

If you absolutely can't, then I'd regretfully have to recommend a chicken vitamin package instead, which I hate to do because they just don't have as good an effect because of the most important vitamins - the oil ones.

Gaping could be heat, could also be brooder pneumonia.

We had a gentleman here who simply made sure his birds had a lot more ventilation in his brooder (which includes temperature control being not too hot which will surely kill babies), made sure the water had NOTHING in it but water (as is my recommendation - stuff in water breeds bacteria, bacteria kill chicks), and gave them a little sunlight and they greatly improved. All of those are basic chicken-care rules. If broken, people start having unthrifty babies that die of unknown causes.

 

[Wiljay]

The main problem with some of the care is that I'm not home most of the day until about 8:30 Monday through Thursday.

I have to constantly change the water out because they are tracking pine shavings and fouling it. Maybe I can put it on a small board so they won't track anything in, but that won't account for the pooping in it.

I can't really get over to the feed store until Friday to buy another thermometer. However, I do have a remote meat probe thermometer that I can leave in the brooder.

 

[threehorses]

That meat thermometer would be great!

As for their water, mine did that so bad this year - it's like "here's a toilet aka your waterer - have at it!"

If you put it at head level (read as "a little too high for them to poop in" it helps. Depending on how big their brooder is you can use bricks (they dry off better), or boards (they keep the bedding a little moist), or something similar. It really does help.

As for treating, you can do once daily - in the morning preferred - and that should be sufficient. You could put a wet mash in when you get up, go get dressed for your day, remove it before you leave and replace with dry mash. You could do the vitamins in the evening when you got home and it should take 15 minutes max. It might take more time the first couple of times, but then you get a rhythm going and it's easier. And the feel for it.

 

[Wiljay]

I appreciate all your help. As it turned out the brooder has been too hot. I was quite surprised at how far away I had to get the lamp before the temp got into the high 80's. I feel pretty lousy about that now. They were acting a lot different, spreading themselves out around the brooder, than they were before.

I have another question, If their feathers appear a little dirty, like they got wet and then dried up stuck together a bit, do I need to try to clean them up?

 

[Wiljay]

By the way, that's funny about your chicks and their waterer. Mine take all of about ten minutes to foul it up. I put it on a board but it will need to go higher I noticed.