6 day old chick gasping, inactive, off feed and water!

[LoveMyChicks2]

I have just introduced myself and am very, very, new to raising chicks. I have 8 RIR and 4 of another breed. They were bought from our local feed store. I bought a nice size rabbit cage to keep them in. They have a heat lamp, medicated water, and medicated chick start-grow feed. I use pine bedding in the catch pan.

They have imprinted on my children and we take them out daily so they can scratch around and just play. Today they all took a dust bath and seemed fine. They have started chasing bugs and eating grasshoppers. Today, my daughter noticed that one of the chicks was not moving and was gasping. When the chick was brought to me she felt very hot so I thought that was the problem. Her temperature seems back to normal but she has not stopped gasping. She does seem a bit stronger than when we first realized she needed help but still does not walk around, although she will stand for a second or two. She peeps every now and then. Her poop was a runny brown. Then I noticed she was passing what looked like water with white in it. Her eyes are clear, her beak is clean, as is her bottom. It's just the gasping and not having energy. I separated her from the others and honestly am keeping her with me. I keep her covered and snuggled so she will not get cold. She is keeping her eyes closed but I think that is because she is tired. I gave her a couple of drops of water with ACV and a drop of olive oil because of what I've already read on this forum. Please give any advice you can. I am heartbroke as are my children. We've only had them since 29 May but we have fallen in love!
Thanks.

 

[ranchhand]

I am not sure what to say- my first thought was the temp, but you seem to have that under control. It might be that she ate a "bad" bug, or possibly didn't get enough grit to keep the crop working?

I hope it works out. There are many people here far more knowledgeable than I.

 

[Renee]

She may have just gotten overheated, but it's possible she may have eaten something bad.

How old are these chicks? Do they have access to grit?

You have done the right thing so far:

Keep her isolated in a warm, dark place, with access to plenty of chick starter and water. If she stops eating, moisten some chick starter and see if she'll eat it. Make sure she is hydrated. You can mix 50/50 Pedialyte and water (or gatorade in a pinch) and give it to her by putting drops on her beak if she will not drink.

Good luck.

 

[LoveMyChicks2]

She is 6 days old. The guy at the feed store told me I did not need to buy grit -- so no -- other than when we take them out and they peck and scratch around in the sand and grass, they have no access to grit. I will get some in the morning.

 

[Judy]

They don't need grit if they only eat chick feed, which is probably what the feed store guy was thinking about. Most people on here don't take chicks outdoors this young -- but Mama hens do, at 2 to 3 days of age, so I am not trying to imply there is anything wrong with this!

Since your soil is sandy, this should be enough grit for them for now, and maybe permanently. They do need some sort of grit to grind up grains and such in their gizzard, but you can impact their crops if they eat too much grit, or too large a size of grit for them. If you buy grit tomorrow, be sure it is intended for chicks, not mature birds, as the chick grit is smaller. Many on here offer parakeet grit for chicks, which I suspect is most likely just blocks of sand.

There are so many things that could be wrong. She could have eaten something that simply got stuck; they are not bright about choosing food. If so, most likely it will pass through her. There could also be nothing at all wrong!

There is an enormous range of "normal" poops, especially in young birds. Look here:

http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0

The gasping and not having energy are a bit of a concern, I agree, but it is also quite possible that they may not indicate a real problem. They will breathe with mouths open to get rid of excess heat, just as a dog will pant. And as young as they are, the apparent lack of energy could easily also be simply coping with the rigors of shipping, heat, new brooder mates, and whatever else they may have encountered.

Of course, it is possible you have a very sick chick, just as it is possible you have a chick who has some internal or genetic defect that you cannot correct. But it is also possible they just need some time and TLC to learn to deal with their world. They will vary in how they cope with life on this planet, outside the shell, just as humans do.

It sounds like you are observing them very closely. Sometimes this leads to concerns over what are actually normal variations in their adjusting to life outside the shell. I hope this is the case for you.

I wish you luck!

And do let us know if you continue to feel there are more serious problems.

 

[LoveMyChicks2]

She's back to normal!!! It was amazing! Seemed "almost" immediate that she recovered after I gave her the ACV and Olive Oil, and put her in a little box (warm of course). When I looked in she was just wonderful. Anyway, this morning, I went in where she was and she had jumped out of her box trying to get in with her buddies. We took them outside later and they all had dust baths (too cute).

Maybe she had gotten too hot? Who knows. I'm just glad our girl is thriving once again. Thank you all so much for your kindness, help, and advice.