Brain Damage Maybe?

[Mylied]

Chick hatched Saturday. I had to help it hatch as it was malpositioned. Head was a bit swollen but it went down. I noticed it had a hard time standing and would fall over but I've dealt with that before. Thing is, I can't get it to eat no matter what I try. I can't get it to drink on its own. I offer a dropper of water and can get it to swollow a drop off the tip but then it seems to want to breath it in. To be clear, I am not squirting water in. I balance a drop on the syringe and put its beak next to it. The walking is improved some but it shakes a lot, is unsteady, and still falls over. I have given vitamins. I hate putting down chicks. Any chance it might improve?

 

[azygous]

I would give it three days. Chicks can improve a lot over that period. Have you tried Poultry Nutri-drench? How about vitamin E oil and selenium? And warm sugar water.

 

[Mylied]

I would give it three days. Chicks can improve a lot over that period. Have you tried Poultry Nutri-drench? How about vitamin E oil and selenium? And warm sugar water.

I don't have poultry nutradrench but yes tried the others. I might pick up some tomorrow to have on hand. Thanks.

 

[Mylied]

I head crackling when it breaths now. I guess it aspirated some water. I'll still give it another day.

 

[azygous]

I just posted this on another thread. You might find it useful.

It seems difficult to get a baby chick's beak open. It's so tiny for one thing, and they do manage to keep it surprisingly shut tight. It's also natural to worry you will hurt the chick by forcing the beak open, but it won't.

It can be done! If you really want to make it easier, appoint a helper. One of you holds the chick and does the hard work of prying open the beak while the helper slips the tiny slivers of solid coconut oil into the beak.

To get the beak open, hold the chick with one hand while slipping a fingernail into the beak with the other. You aren't going to pry it open too far, just enough to slide the oil sliver into the right side of the beak. The one holding the chick's beak open will then let the chick close the beak and swallow. There will be less chance of the chick aspirating fluid doing it this way.

Points to remember: The chick's esophagus is on the right side of its throat (it's right, not yours) so introducing oil or water or food is safest from the right side. The second is the chick has to close its beak to swallow.

 

[Mylied]

Chick went into a comma for a few hours and then passed away.