Ahhh!! Help!!

[The10 bundles of joy]

I’m a new mom to having baby chicks. Last night 3 out of the ten of them started reaching their neck up and opening there mouth. Like they had something stuck. I thought maybe they ate some down cause it’s been flying around sense they are getting their feathers in. I also looked into gape worm because we have gave them a couple earth worms. But I don’t really know what they have and I’m scared and need help any suggestions they are only 3 weeks

 

[ChickForLife]

They could just be yawning?

 

[The10 bundles of joy]

They could just be yawning?

That’s what first came to my mind last night, but then I started reading more into it and now I’m so worried that they got gape worm. Only one of them is doing it now and not as much. I just don’t know how to check for gape worm especially sense they are just little chicks.

 

[FluffyBottomBantams]

I know exactly what you mean. I have birds of all ages that do this and I try not to worry about it too much because they seem fine otherwise. Looking forward to seeing what other people say.

 

[Missythechickenlady]

You may need yo give them some cornmeal. They may need grit but are to young for grit so you can give them corn meal and it works like grit for them just sprinkle some on there food. That will help them break down there food in there crop. If you feel there chest is it a big bump like there is alot of feed in there? Or ive had were my chicks spilled water on there wood shavingsI had extra fine shavings and it turned out mine had been eating the savings. I changed out to regular shavings and I had to rub the crop of the chicken and turn it over and everything it ate came out of its mouth and it was all extra fine shavings. Hope this helps.

 

[tizabel_]

I’m a new mom to having baby chicks. Last night 3 out of the ten of them started reaching their neck up and opening there mouth. Like they had something stuck. I thought maybe they ate some down cause it’s been flying around sense they are getting their feathers in. I also looked into gape worm because we have gave them a couple earth worms. But I don’t really know what they have and I’m scared and need help any suggestions they are only 3 weeks

If they don’t have grit, you shouldn’t have given them earth worms. I made that mistake with my 4 week chicks, if you are going to feed them worms then they need grit and the worms need to be cut in small enough pieces to swallow. My chick had a small earthworm and swallowed it whole. For the next 15 minutes after eating it she just slept and kept shaking her head and gasping for breath. There was saliva leaking out of her mouth and she couldnt hold her head up. I really thought she was going to die but she recovered quickly.
Earthworms are difficult to digest for young chicks so I would stop giving them worms until they are old enough to break them into pieces by themselves and only if they have grit.
How old are they? How long has it been since they ate the worms?
I would look down their throats to see if the worm is lodged in their throat. If you can’t see a worm then the best thing to do is give them water and grit. The water will help the chicks swallow the worm if it’s stuck in their throats and the grit will help them digest it.
The chicks would take a day or to to start showing symptoms if they got gapeworms. So if they ate the worm a couple hours ago, it’s definitely not gapeworms.

 

[The10 bundles of joy]

If they don’t have grit, you shouldn’t have given them earth worms. I made that mistake with my 4 week chicks, if you are going to feed them worms then they need grit and the worms need to be cut in small enough pieces to swallow. My chick had a small earthworm and swallowed it whole. For the next 15 minutes after eating it she just slept and kept shaking her head and gasping for breath. There was saliva leaking out of her mouth and she couldnt hold her head up. I really thought she was going to die but she recovered quickly.
Earthworms are difficult to digest for young chicks so I would stop giving them worms until they are old enough to break them into pieces by themselves and only if they have grit.
How old are they? How long has it been since they ate the worms?
I would look down their throats to see if the worm is lodged in their throat. If you can’t see a worm then the best thing to do is give them water and grit. The water will help the chicks swallow the worm if it’s stuck in their throats and the grit will help them digest it.
The chicks would take a day or to to start showing symptoms if they got gapeworms. So if they ate the worm a couple hours ago, it’s definitely not gapeworms.

Yes they have been having chick grit for about 2 week. I gave them earth worms 4 days ago they were pretty tiny already but I did cut them in half. I haven’t gave them any since then. I made sure they all had got a drink of water last night before I went to bed too. They act fine besides the open mouth and stretched neck every once in awhile.

 

[tizabel_]

Yes they have been having chick grit for about 2 week. I gave them earth worms 4 days ago they were pretty tiny already but I did cut them in half. I haven’t gave them any since then. I made sure they all had got a drink of water last night before I went to bed too. They act fine besides the open mouth and stretched neck every once in awhile.

Oh dear, considering it was 4 days ago they probably have gapeworms
But it’s possible that they were just yawning too . . .

 

[DragonGirls]

It sounds like they could just be adjusting their crop, which is perfectly normal.

 

[FluffyBottomBantams]

It sounds like they could just be adjusting their crop, which is perfectly normal.

This seems the most likely to me. I have full grown birds that do that movement. I think they had a hard time swallowing the worm because it is around the size of their little esophaguses. Chicken eyes are often bigger than their stomachs