Baby Chick with Possible Impaction

[Waterfaery]

I have a little La Bresse Chick, 4 days old (almost 5 days), that has something wrong with its digestion. It had been eating and drinking normally like the others and was filling its crop normally up until about 36 hours ago.

It was one of two chicks that hatched a lot later than the others. It actually hatched on time but the majority hatched a day early. It had a very difficult hatch and was a bit sticky but it made it out on its own.

The first thing I noticed, about 36 hours ago, was that its crop wasn't as full as the others but I had seen it eating and I knew it had a normal crop earlier so I left it alone. Then yesterday I noticed its crop never really filled at all. It was making some pecking motions at the feeder but not actually really taking anything in.

By last night it was starting to show signs of some sort of impaction (I think?). It keeps standing up tall and stretching its neck up, opening its beak and moving its whole body while trying to swallow. It looks like it's trying to get something down but can't. At first it was just doing it occasionally and now this morning it's doing it a bit more.

I have had a good feel of it and there is nothing at all in the crop or higher up. It's very difficult to tell by palpating the lower area but I wonder if its belly feels a bit lumpy, although I really don't know. The motions it's making look like the problem is higher up, so I'm a bit confused.

It is not pasty and has actually been doing lots of droppings, some normal and some pure water.

I don't think it has grown at all. The other little one that hatched at the same time as it was much smaller and weaker and I did actually have to help that one hatch. That one has now overtaken this one in size. I didn't take an initial weight when they hatched but I weighed them today. The majority weigh upwards of 75g. The little one I assisted weighs 62g and this one I'm concerned about only weighs 45g.

So far, I have tried dipping its beak in a probiotic, electrolyte, vitamin supplement. It drank a small bit and then started doing the swallowing thing so I was nervous about forcing it too much. I have tried offering it a variety of other foods, which it has refused. I have tried getting some coconut oil into its beak but it has a surprising amount of energy and is not cooperating. Otherwise, its only diet so far has been chick starter, which it is not eating anymore.

In the brooder I have a non slip shelf liner on the floor and I'm using paper towels for the bedding. I have noticed the chicks pecking at bits of the paper and eating it. I can't imagine any other foreign object that it could possibly have eaten. I have provided grit and the chick has actually been eating it so I'm hoping that will help.

Any ideas what could be wrong with it and what else I should do?

 

[FreedomFarm13]

I have a little La Bresse Chick, 4 days old (almost 5 days), that has something wrong with its digestion. It had been eating and drinking normally like the others and was filling its crop normally up until about 36 hours ago.

It was one of two chicks that hatched a lot later than the others. It actually hatched on time but the majority hatched a day early. It had a very difficult hatch and was a bit sticky but it made it out on its own.

The first thing I noticed, about 36 hours ago, was that its crop wasn't as full as the others but I had seen it eating and I knew it had a normal crop earlier so I left it alone. Then yesterday I noticed its crop never really filled at all. It was making some pecking motions at the feeder but not actually really taking anything in.

By last night it was starting to show signs of some sort of impaction (I think?). It keeps standing up tall and stretching its neck up, opening its beak and moving its whole body while trying to swallow. It looks like it's trying to get something down but can't. At first it was just doing it occasionally and now this morning it's doing it a bit more.

I have had a good feel of it and there is nothing at all in the crop or higher up. It's very difficult to tell by palpating the lower area but I wonder if its belly feels a bit lumpy, although I really don't know. The motions it's making look like the problem is higher up, so I'm a bit confused.

It is not pasty and has actually been doing lots of droppings, some normal and some pure water.

I don't think it has grown at all. The other little one that hatched at the same time as it was much smaller and weaker and I did actually have to help that one hatch. That one has now overtaken this one in size. I didn't take an initial weight when they hatched but I weighed them today. The majority weigh upwards of 75g. The little one I assisted weighs 62g and this one I'm concerned about only weighs 45g.

So far, I have tried dipping its beak in a probiotic, electrolyte, vitamin supplement. It drank a small bit and then started doing the swallowing thing so I was nervous about forcing it too much. I have tried offering it a variety of other foods, which it has refused. I have tried getting some coconut oil into its beak but it has a surprising amount of energy and is not cooperating. Otherwise, its only diet so far has been chick starter, which it is not eating anymore.

In the brooder I have a non slip shelf liner on the floor and I'm using paper towels for the bedding. I have noticed the chicks pecking at bits of the paper and eating it. I can't imagine any other foreign object that it could possibly have eaten. I have provided grit and the chick has actually been eating it so I'm hoping that will help.

Any ideas what could be wrong with it and what else I should do?

I was all ready to say that I thought you should provide some grit (hopefully the chick sized stuff you can get, or just break up adult grit) and then right at the end you said it, lol. Sounds to me like you're doing everything you should for it, although I would be concerned about the paper towels. I would switch to shavings if they've been eating it, because it could end up happening to some of the other babies, but that's just what I would do and is my only concern. It really sounds like you're doing everything you can for her. Hopefully the grit and a little coconut oil (if you can get her to take it) will solve the problem before it gets too bad. I would keep offering her the vitamins and electrolytes periodically too. I hope she gets to feeling better! Fingers crossed!

 

[Waterfaery]

Thanks. The reason I'm using the paper towels is because I had read lots of others have problems with them eating the shavings. My last lot had the paper towels for two weeks and it worked well. They also pecked at it a bit but I didn't think they'd actually be eating enough of it to be a problem. I'm thinking about maybe switching to sand but I'm not sure.

I've been persevering with the coconut and have managed to get a small bit into it. It's actually being reasonably active but is still doing the weird swallowing movement. It's drinking plenty and eating the grit but it hasn't really had any food at all. I would try to get some food into it but I'm concerned about causing worse problems if there is some sort of blockage.

 

[FreedomFarm13]

Thanks. The reason I'm using the paper towels is because I had read lots of others have problems with them eating the shavings. My last lot had the paper towels for two weeks and it worked well. They also pecked at it a bit but I didn't think they'd actually be eating enough of it to be a problem. I'm thinking about maybe switching to sand but I'm not sure.

I've been persevering with the coconut and have managed to get a small bit into it. It's actually being reasonably active but is still doing the weird swallowing movement. It's drinking plenty and eating the grit but it hasn't really had any food at all. I would try to get some food into it but I'm concerned about causing worse problems if there is some sort of blockage.

Well, obviously use whatever bedding you're most comfortable with. I was just saying what I would do, since I've never had a problem with chicks eating shavings. I've never used sand, so can't give any advice on that.
I'm glad you got some of the coconut oil down! That's good. Does she have access to feed? If she does, I'd leave it up to her if she wants some or not and not try to force it, especially if there's a chance of blockage. Hopefully her wanting and eating the grit will get her to the point where she can start eating small amounts of feed without making things any worse. I think at this point you're just gonna have to wait and see if she starts to improve. Keep doing what you're doing and I have a good feeling she'll bounce back!

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I've never seen this problem before so I'm unsure. But it sounds like you are doing everything you can to help the lil one!

 

[Waterfaery]

Well, obviously use whatever bedding you're most comfortable with. I was just saying what I would do, since I've never had a problem with chicks eating shavings. I've never used sand, so can't give any advice on that.
I'm glad you got some of the coconut oil down! That's good. Does she have access to feed? If she does, I'd leave it up to her if she wants some or not and not try to force it, especially if there's a chance of blockage. Hopefully her wanting and eating the grit will get her to the point where she can start eating small amounts of feed without making things any worse. I think at this point you're just gonna have to wait and see if she starts to improve. Keep doing what you're doing and I have a good feeling she'll bounce back!

Well I'm thinking that just because the paper towels worked for my last chicks, doesn't mean it's the best thing for these ones. They are very different in so many ways. I will have to give it some thought.

Yes, it's in the brooder with the others and has access to the normal food. It has made a couple of attempts to peck at the food but isn't eating it.

 

[Waterfaery]

Just to update, the little chick, which is now named Funky Bean thanks to my 5 year old, is doing ok.

I got a fair bit of coconut oil into it and it ate hardly anything except grit on Monday. It seemed to pass whatever the problem was on Tuesday. It stopped doing the weird swallowing movement and it started eating again. It's still way smaller than the others but it's gone from 45g to 69g now so I hope it will be ok.

I did decide to change out the paper towels for sand. It seems ok for the moment and they enjoy digging around in it. Honestly, I'm not even sure if the paper towels were the problem. I think these chicks are gorging themselves on food. I wonder if it's a thing with these fast growing breeds.

 

[Dragon Slayer Trinket]

Just to update, the little chick, which is now named Funky Bean thanks to my 5 year old, is doing ok.

I got a fair bit of coconut oil into it and it ate hardly anything except grit on Monday. It seemed to pass whatever the problem was on Tuesday. It stopped doing the weird swallowing movement and it started eating again. It's still way smaller than the others but it's gone from 45g to 69g now so I hope it will be ok.

I did decide to change out the paper towels for sand. It seems ok for the moment and they enjoy digging around in it. Honestly, I'm not even sure if the paper towels were the problem. I think these chicks are gorging themselves on food. I wonder if it's a thing with these fast growing breeds.

Gosh, gorging might be a possibility. I don't know anything about your breed, but I read that meat chickens, which grow super fast, can eat themselves to death.

 

[Waterfaery]

Gosh, gorging might be a possibility. I don't know anything about your breed, but I read that meat chickens, which grow super fast, can eat themselves to death.

That is horrific. It's so sad that humans have bred animals to be that way.

These are a meat breed but a heritage one, not like the commercial broilers. Still, all they do is eat all day long. I hope this was an isolated incident.