5 day old chick breathing heavy, trouble standing.

[Grohidighast]

I bough 8 red rangers on Saturday. The other 7 are acting completely normal. Brooder has fine pine shavings, 21% broiler starter crumble and fresh water. One was acting lethargic in the morning. When I got home from work it was flipped on its back breathing heavily. I isolated it, gave it sugar water, scrambled eggs, feed and water. It has some energy back, but is still breathing heavily and seems to only want to put weight on one foot. Any idea what it is? I don’t want to cull unnecessarily but also don’t want it to suffer. Thanks for any info you might have.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

Hold old are they?
Photos of the bird and it's poop?

Temperature of the brooder - warm and cool side?
How much space?

I'd continue to work on hydration and offering food like you are doing. Could this one have been trampled or got stuck in a corner. Re-check leg joints and feet for any indication of swelling or bruising.

 

[Grohidighast]

Welcome To BYC

Hold old are they?
Photos of the bird and it's poop?

Temperature of the brooder - warm and cool side?
How much space?

I'd continue to work on hydration and offering food like you are doing. Could this one have been trampled or got stuck in a corner. Re-check leg joints and feet for any indication of swelling or bruising.

Thanks for the reply. The chick is 5 days old. Brooder is around 95 with the cool side 80 or so. It’s a rubber tub about 3 Sq feet. Currently have the one isolated in a smaller box. Poop looks totally normal

Seems to be putting all of its weight on the right foot, but I can’t find anything noticeably wrong with the left.

 

[Grohidighast]

Unfortunately its condition deteriorated and it clearly wasn’t going to thrive. Had to cull this morning

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for the reply. The chick is 5 days old. Brooder is around 95 with the cool side 80 or so. It’s a rubber tub about 3 Sq feet. Currently have the one isolated in a smaller box. Poop looks totally normal

Seems to be putting all of its weight on the right foot, but I can’t find anything noticeably wrong with the left.

Sorry to hear about the chick.

Your brooder size is quite tight and the temperatures are pretty high for week olds.

If possible, get them into a bigger brooder, raise your lamp and get the warm side to around 80-85F and let the cool side be as cool as it can be. Chicks overheat very quickly and need plenty of room to move about to be comfortable.

Hopefully all the rest are doing fine.