Baby chick laboured breathing

[tomik261]

I have a 1 day chick that is breathing very deeply. He lays on the ground with his beak opening and closing. His whole back is moving you can hear it and it almost sounds like a heartbeat. What could it be? I want to know if it's anything contagious as the other 3 chicks are doing great. Thanks

 

[BastyPutt]

I have a 1 day chick that is breathing very deeply. He lays on the ground with his beak opening and closing. His whole back is moving you can hear it and it almost sounds like a heartbeat. What could it be? I want to know if it's anything contagious as the other 3 chicks are doing great. Thanks

Hello there.

Can you share some pics of the brooder and chick??

Have you brooded chicks previously?

 

[tomik261]

Hello there.

Can you share some pics of the brooder and chick??

Have you brooded chicks previously?

I just came from school and he was already dead. The brooder is just a temporary one but here you go anyways. It's my first time brooding chicks

 

[BastyPutt]

I just came from school and he was already dead. The brooder is just a temporary one but here you go anyways. It's my first time brooding chicks

Well congratulations on your first batch, and welcome to the family. Raising chickens as a hobby has proven to be one of the best things I have ever done. Unfortunately, it can be challenging, and you have experienced probably the hardest part already, which is losing birds.

Ok - about the chicks. I am sure that you did ample research prior to getting set up, but I am going to walk you through a few basics on your brooder. Throughout their life, a chicken's "home" has a tremendous bearing on them - most notably, their health. In this case, we can rule out some environmental things first - starting with temp.

It is RECOMMENDED that the brooder be kept at 100 degrees for the first week of life, and decrease 5 degrees each week. However, what is far more important is the chicks behavior. If you see the chicks huddled together constantly, this means they are cold. If you see them panting, GASPING, holding their wings away from their body - they are too hot. You will want your brooder large enough to allow the chick to regulate their own temp to an extent. So in other words, they need to enough room to be able to come in and out of the heat source as they see fit. Even after brooding as many as I have, I still put a thermometer in the brooder intially to make sure something isnt crazy, then remove it after that and adjust temp based on their behaviors.

With that said - what temp is your brooder and what are you using as a heat source?

 

[tomik261]

Well congratulations on your first batch, and welcome to the family. Raising chickens as a hobby has proven to be one of the best things I have ever done. Unfortunately, it can be challenging, and you have experienced probably the hardest part already, which is losing birds.

Ok - about the chicks. I am sure that you did ample research prior to getting set up, but I am going to walk you through a few basics on your brooder. Throughout their life, a chicken's "home" has a tremendous bearing on them - most notably, their health. In this case, we can rule out some environmental things first - starting with temp.

It is RECOMMENDED that the brooder be kept at 100 degrees for the first week of life, and decrease 5 degrees each week. However, what is far more important is the chicks behavior. If you see the chicks huddled together constantly, this means they are cold. If you see them panting, GASPING, holding their wings away from their body - they are too hot. You will want your brooder large enough to allow the chick to regulate their own temp to an extent. So in other words, they need to enough room to be able to come in and out of the heat source as they see fit. Even after brooding as many as I have, I still put a thermometer in the brooder intially to make sure something isnt crazy, then remove it after that and adjust temp based on their behaviors.

With that said - what temp is your brooder and what are you using as a heat source?

Thank you for your reply. The brooder reads 90 F but think the reason for that is because the end of my thermometer is shiny as the chicks arent peeping or huddling together. The heat is provided by a 50watt bulb. This is all just temporary though and the chicks will be moved this evening to a more proper space

 

[BastyPutt]

Thank you for your reply. The brooder reads 90 F but think the reason for that is because the end of my thermometer is shiny as the chicks arent peeping or huddling together. The heat is provided by a 50watt bulb. This is all just temporary though and the chicks will be moved this evening to a more proper space

Got it. Okay. Yes, as long as you are in the general area, and behavior is normal, then temp is good.

Do you have any questions about setting up the new brooder?

 

[tomik261]

Got it. Okay. Yes, as long as you are in the general area, and behavior is normal, then temp is good.

Do you have any questions about setting up the new brooder?

That's all, thanks for your help

 

[BastyPutt]

That's all, thanks for your help

Watch the others VERY CLOSE. If you see any thing happening, please come back.

In the meantime, it won't hurt to give them a round of apple cider vinegarwater in their waterer, and scramble and feed an egg to them. If they were mine, id follow the ACV water with some sugar water.

 

[TwoCrows]

Chicks should be started around 88 degrees as day olds, temp measured directly under the heat source on the floor. Keep the heat off to one side, food and water off to the other side where it's cool. They need places to cool off. Lower the temp by 5 degrees each week. The chick may be overheated.

 

[tomik261]

Watch the others VERY CLOSE. If you see any thing happening, please come back.

In the meantime, it won't hurt to give them a round of apple cider vinegarwater in their waterer, and scramble and feed an egg to them. If they were mine, id follow the ACV water with some sugar water.

One thing I do notice is a slight noise when breathing I'm not sure if that's normal or not. But I do hope they all make it to adulthood. Almost like a slight clicking sound I'm not sure how to describe it