5 day old chick prolapse? Screaming when she tries to poop. PLEASEHELP

[brenna]

We got 10 new chicks from MPC this past Tuesday, so they are 5 or 6 days old at this point.
About an hour ago we noticed one of the chicks had some mess on her butt. We figured she was pasting up a bit (we've been checking/cleaning butts at least twice a day), but when we picked her up we noticed she is very swollen and protruding around her vent. We cleaned off the poo with wet paper towels, but the protrusion is what scares me.

She is (we think) a Columbian Wyandotte who has been on chick starter (unmedicated) and has had constant access to clean water. She is in a large brooder with her broodmates under a red bulb that keeps the current temp right around 95 degrees in one corner. Until today they had all been acting normally, scratching around and being generally playful.

At this point she cheeps and screams loudly any time she tries to poop. She goes through the motion of squatting a bit, but you can tell she is struggling and nothing much is coming out except for some ooze. She is no longer scratching around with the others and is generally standing in one spot like she's trying to sleep standing up.

I'm not quite sure what to do because in other posts that I've read the chicks who look like they have prolapsed are still pooping regularly.

Please help, these chickens are our pets and we don't want her to die. I'm running to the grocery store for some prep H to have on hand.


Thanks for any help or advice.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

I think I had something similar in a Light Brahma chick, her vent was all plugged and she couldn't poop at all. I'm sad to say that she did eventually die

 

[angelbabyamy]

I always give emy chicks medicaed starter. Especially if I buy them from a store or hatchery.

 

[brenna]

It does look like she's kind of "plugged up". We put some PrepH around it and while we had the Qtips out tried to scoop a little of the poo out without pushing it further in. At this point it's clear that she's not able to poop at all and it's very swollen.

I can't go back 6 days and put them on medicated feed, so is there anything I can do right now? Is there any reason to believe that this happened because they're not on medicated feed? I'm kind of in the "natural seems to be the best way" camp, so any explanation would be appreciated rather than just telling me I'm doing it wrong. They are vaccinated for Marek's if that makes any difference.

I refuse to think that all I can do is watch her die. Someone must have experience with this.

Thanks.

 

[Celtic Chick]

Quote:
x2
Prep. H is a good idea. And it sounds like you are doing everything perfectly for your babies otherwise. You are doing nothing wrong by feeding unmedicated. I fed my first set of chicks with unmedicated food, and they are all healthy 2 year olds. I lean toward the natural-is-best method myself too.
Try soaking her butt in some warm water for a while. And do you have any Sav-A-Chik or other vitamin/electrolyte solution you could mix in her water?
You could also try to get her to eat some yogurt. Plain is best, but flavored would work too. I try to always keep some around.

 

[klmclain1]

Poor baby.... thinking back on my HUMAN babies - when they had tummy aches I would gently massage their tummies. I wonder if a dose of olive oil orally, then a warm bath followed by a blow dry and tummy massage might do the trick. Maybe even doing it several times.... I've got my fingers crossed for your baby!

 

[Mom2sixpeeps]

Ok, so I am new to chickens and totally inexperienced with fowl problems but here's what I'd do... I'd take a very small syringe (no needle of course) and give her a warm water (not too warm though) and olive oil enema. If she's blocked I'm not sure anything orally will help. I'd also do the warm butt soak. Let us know how she is.

 

[klmclain1]

ooooooooo... that sounds like a good idea! Did you ever, in your entire life, think you'd be talking about giving chickens enemas??!!

Quote:

 

[Mom2sixpeeps]

Ha! No but I remember being extremely constipated when I was pregnant with both my children! Thank God for 24 hour stores that carry Fleet enemas ( my sweet husband totally saved me!).

Ya know, it just seemed to make sense. Gotta do what you gotta do to unclog her little bottom, poor thing! Lemme know how she is!!

 

[Caliphe]

Update?