Chick can't poop easily

Bean789

Songster
5 Years
Apr 25, 2014
494
43
108
Spring Hill, FL
Hello everyone! Yes, another newbie with a gazillion questions. I have 8 baby chicks, 2 1/2 weeks old. All have been doing fine. Now, 1 of them. buff brahama bantam, began having trouble pooping. Not pasty butt. Gave her olive oil/water mix via eyedropper. Tried the warm cloth, warm bottom bath approach. "Enema' approach with warm water. Last option, took her to a vet who 'cleaned her out' by massaging her and sent her on her way. Good for the last couple of days, now having trouble again. She has pulled out some of her feathers from 'picking' at her rear which is swollen and red/irritated. Applying Neosporin every now and again. She manages to poop a small portion now and then but.....worried we may still lose her. Vet was expensive but chick is my 3 year old granddaughter's. Yes, I know...easier to get another chick. Still trying to save her. Any suggestions? Also, worried this may become a habit with her.
 
First
welcome-byc.gif




Ok now on with the show ..

What are you putting in the water ???

What are you feeding her ????

Try rubbing her belly sounds funny but try ...

Hard Boiled egg remove shell and mash up good and serve you can also feed the rest to the other chicks ...

Do this twice a day for a week it is natural and do you have any Natural Yogurt put some in an eyedropper and feed slowly ...

If you don't think this works try it on yourself first ... Bang it works ..

Hit me back if you have any questions .....






gander007
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Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! Sorry about the problems you are having with the chick. You might want to try posting on the Emergencies forum about her https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures and the Raising Chicks forum https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/11/raising-baby-chicks Some questions that might help figure out what is going on. How long ago did it start? Can you post a picture? What is your brooder set-up like, are there cool spots for the chicks to use also? What are you using as a water source, dehydration often leads to constipation. What foods are you feeding them? What are you using for bedding, have you ever seen her eating the bedding? The Neosporin is not the one with pain relief?
 
I realized after I posted that I was in the wrong section for Emergencies, Illness, etc. Sorry about that. Chicks are kept in a very large deep plastic storage container with wire cover and heat lamp temp monitored for hopefully correct temp for them. Chick waterer changed several times a day, medicated chick starter feed in a small chicken feeder, bedding changed daily. Yes, enough room for cooler area for them although will need a larger container for them soon, like maybe tomorrow. The issue started about 4 days ago, she screeched loudly when trying to poop. She would get it partially out, then it would go back in or would be about the size of a very small pea and then nothing more for a few hours. She is eating and drinking still. Water is plain water. All of the chicks peck at the pine bedding but she is the only one with issues, so far. Neosporin is not the pain relief type. She went to vet on Friday and did fine for almost the remainder of the day. Some crusting around the vent, but not over and clogging. Gave her a complete rump wash last night to be sure nothing was obstructing. She is screeching again this morning.
 
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Welcome to BYC!

I am so sorry about your baby. You might try something a bit drastic...epsom salt drench. This will act as a laxative and disolve anything in her intestines that might be blocking her vent. I would separate her out from the others. You are going to do this for 24 hours only. Get some warm water. 1 cup of it. Mix in 1 teaspoon of epsom salts. Mix well. Let her drink this for 24 hours only. Let her eat soft foods only. I would recommend chopped up hard boiled eggs. These should be easiest to pass thru her. This mixture may give her diarrhea. But that is ok. Maybe she has a blockage of some sort.

So put this water out for 24 hours only. I would separate her so only she is drinking this water. Keep the temp around 85 degrees. Use a thermometer. Let her eat as much egg as she will eat. And see if this doesn't help.

But you might also post this in the emergency section as well.

Keep us posted!


I realized after I posted that I was in the wrong section for Emergencies, Illness, etc. Sorry about that. Chicks are kept in a very large deep plastic storage container with wire cover and heat lamp temp monitored for hopefully correct temp for them. Chick waterer changed several times a day, medicated chick starter feed in a small chicken feeder, bedding changed daily. Yes, enough room for cooler area for them although will need a larger container for them soon, like maybe tomorrow. The issue started about 4 days ago, she screeched loudly when trying to poop. She would get it partially out, then it would go back in or would be about the size of a very small pea and then nothing more for a few hours. She is eating and drinking still. Water is plain water. All of the chicks peck at the pine bedding but she is the only one with issues, so far. Neosporin is not the pain relief type. She went to vet on Friday and did fine for almost the remainder of the day. Some crusting around the vent, but not over and clogging. Gave her a complete rump wash last night to be sure nothing was obstructing. She is screeching again this morning.
 
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As an update, Bavis, as she has been named, is doing a little better but still has issues with pooping. I have not tried the Epsom salts as suggested as yet but will probably do that in the next day or two. She does poop but screeches each time and passes a small amount. I did try the natural yogurt and it seemed to help somewhat. It is difficult to separate her for any length of time as she 'chirps' constantly when away from her group for more than a few minutes. She is still eating and drinking water and we 'force' feed her extra water besides, with the yogurt. She is so sweet and enjoys all of the attention she is getting right now and will probably turn out to be the most friendly of the bunch. She doesn't seem as distressed as she was before so I am not concerned on losing her just yet. But, I have read that things can turn quickly for a baby chick so she is monitored all day by my daughter.
 
As an update, Bavis, as she has been named, is doing a little better but still has issues with pooping. I have not tried the Epsom salts as suggested as yet but will probably do that in the next day or two. She does poop but screeches each time and passes a small amount. I did try the natural yogurt and it seemed to help somewhat. It is difficult to separate her for any length of time as she 'chirps' constantly when away from her group for more than a few minutes. She is still eating and drinking water and we 'force' feed her extra water besides, with the yogurt. She is so sweet and enjoys all of the attention she is getting right now and will probably turn out to be the most friendly of the bunch. She doesn't seem as distressed as she was before so I am not concerned on losing her just yet. But, I have read that things can turn quickly for a baby chick so she is monitored all day by my daughter.
I am glad she is doing better. It is possible she will out grow what ever this is. It may scar over and not bother her later. But at least she is enjoying life and you are taking such good care of her. Keep up the lovin' and keep us posted as she grows! :)
 
Yes, little Bavis seems to be coming along. I tried the Epsom salt treatment a couple of days ago along with boiled eggs for food and some yogurt for good measure. It is a wonder she weighs anything right now as she has pooped and pooped and pooped. LOL We never saw a huge amount at one time, nor anything overly large discharged. She still screeches when she poops but it is brief and not as often as before. Everything seems normal in that direction. We have not had to assist her in getting it out all day today. I think maybe she was extremely sore from the whole ordeal and it just took some time for the redness and swelling to subside. Poor girl was exhausted from standing all of the time. She didn't sit or lay down much because I think she felt like she always 'had to go". She slept in my daughter's lap while she watched TV the other night so she has gotten some rest for a change. She is actually getting to be quite spoiled! She slept most of the night lying down in the brooder and cuddled with her brood mates. Hopefully, all is well and she won't have any long term effects when it comes to laying eggs. Thank you so much for checking up on us.
 
I wish I could figure out how to post a picture of her. I did it once in another thread I posted, but I think I came across the how to accidentally at that time. LOL
 

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