Bulging and hard belly, not growing…

[kserdmann]

So, this is our second round of baby chicks and I'm at a loss for what to do.

She came home on Monday with pasty butt, I cleaned it immediately.
Next day the skin around her vent appeared to be somewhat crusty, so I started applying antibiotic ointment daily.
Three days later her belly or intestinal region is hard and appears to be bulging and she's noticeably smaller than her sister that she came home with.

We have added a small amount of chick grit to the starter crumble, as well as a Electrolyte supplement to their water.

Any input?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sometimes they aren't developed correctly, from my experiences those with pasty butt are more likely to have something wrong with them. I don't think you can do anything unfortunately.

 

[kserdmann]

So, leave her alone & see how it goes, or kill her?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I always give them a chance, unless it's obviously suffering, sometimes it's just from stress, keep cleaning it bottom if necessary.

 

[16 paws]

I would try feeding some yogurt. I would not cull, give the chick a chance and see how things go.

 

[turboscooby07]

Probiotics sprinkled on some crushed plain oatmeal works wonders. We can get little packets of it at TSC around here for a few bucks.

 

[Jensownzoo]

Is she passing droppings normally?

 

[lazy gardener]

So, leave her alone & see how it goes, or kill her?

Only you can make that decision. With a hard belly, I'm guessing she's got something wrong with her intestines. Some chicks just don't thrive, for what ever reason. You can try probiotics. But, with that hard abdomen, my guess is that she's got peritonitis.

 

[kserdmann]

Is she passing droppings normally?

Not that I can tell. I've isolated her to feed and watch several times with nothing.

 

[Jensownzoo]

Okay, if there is input and no output, she either is blocked or severely constipated. The most common laxative solution used in chickens is 1 tbsp molasses added to 1 quart water. If she's drinking, just replace her drinking water with this. If it works, it will relieve the constipation by causing diarrhea. So at that point, stop the molasses, replace with electrolytes in the water (to help replenish those lost in diarrhea). You can feed normal diet at that point, but if diarrhea continues you may need to add in some ground oatmeal to help things gel back up.