5 Week Old Chick is Tongue Tied!

[PineHillVilla]

This morning I awoke to a disturbance in my brooder cage. One of my chicks (a cockerel, I think) was almost hanging from a string* from the top of the cage! His feet were on the bottom but the string was in his mouth. When I looked in I saw the string was tied around his tongue! I took a tiny pair of scissors and snipped the string as close as I could without cutting his tongue. I put him him a cozy shoe box lined in paper towels and made a paper towel tent to put over him to keep him warm. I’ve check on him all day, but wanted him to sleep as he must have been in distress for hours. He keeps one eye closed even when he’s awake. It’s now 10:30 PM and he’s still sleepy. I gave him water (by dropper) this afternoon and again just now. I don’t know what to do. I’m hoping he’ll be ok through the night.

* the string was a stray thread from a canvas drop cloth cover over the cage. It’s about as think as a roll of string.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This morning I awoke to a disturbance in my brooder cage. One of my chicks (a cockerel, I think) was almost hanging from a string* from the top of the cage! His feet were on the bottom but the string was in his mouth. When I looked in I saw the string was tied around his tongue! I took a tiny pair of scissors and snipped the string as close as I could without cutting his tongue. I put him him a cozy shoe box lined in paper towels and made a paper towel tent to put over him to keep him warm. I’ve check on him all day, but wanted him to sleep as he must have been in distress for hours. He keeps one eye closed even when he’s awake. It’s now 10:30 PM and he’s still sleepy. I gave him water (by dropper) this afternoon and again just now. I don’t know what to do. I’m hoping he’ll be ok through the night.

* the string was a stray thread from a canvas drop cloth cover over the cage. It’s about as think as a roll of string.

How is he doing now?
When you give water, does he seem to be able to swallow it o.k.? Is the tongue swollen?

If you have him a shoe box with no food/water, then you will need to hydrate him every hour or so - get fluids into him first, then offer a little wet soupy chick starter.

 

[PineHillVilla]

Thank you! That’s exactly what I ended up doing. He turned out to be a she and she is thriving, happy and healthy.