Chick healthy and now wont open eyes - Help

[Kirsti1217]

I had a delivery of 8 chicks yesterday, all were lively out of the box and began eating and drinking right away. This morning I woke up to find the Lavender Orpington by herself and slow to respond. She seemed drowsy and now her eyes are permanently closed. She did poop and it looked normal but now she wont eat or drink. All other chicks looks great still. Brooder is 95 degrees, I have electrolytes in the water and am feeding chick starter. I'm going to buy some Poly-Vi-Sol and try raw egg yolk as I've seen a lot of posts about that. Any other suggestions? She was so lively and within 12 hours is a totally different chick.

 

[cmom]

There is a good chance she won't make it. You could try to get her to eat by soaking some of the crumbles in the electrolyte water and I use a tweezers and feed a little at a time several times a day. Sometimes after I have started feeding the chick this way I have gotten it to eat some on it's own while holding it. I put the water and feed in a bottle cap and mix it up and try to get the chick to eat as much as it can. I have also used the Poly-Vi-Sol without iron. Sometimes they make it and sometimes they don't. Good luck and have fun..

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm going to buy some Poly-Vi-Sol and try raw egg yolk as I've seen a lot of posts about that. Any other suggestions? She was so lively and within 12 hours is a totally different chick.

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

It sounds like failure to thrive.

Poly Vi Sol is suggested IF you already have it on your for your children or cannot find the other products. But Poultry nutri drench is superior to the PVS. Sold at most feed stores and I think I even saw it at Wally.

Getting liquids in is key as dehydration is deadly fast. For failing chicks... I hold them in my hand, beak facing the bend in my forefinger and drip a drop of vitamin on the beak just below the nostrils. When it rolls around into the mouth the bird will instinctively gobble and swallow. My forefinger help catch and direct the drip. I do this about 15 minutes until I see improvement. First time or twp with straight vitamins, followed with the electrolyte/vitamin mix.

One of the most common causes of chick slowing that can be easy top miss and deadly very fast is pasty butt. Since you stated the chick pood, that is presumably not it.

 

[Kirsti1217]

Thank you @EggSighted4Life & @Cmonroe90 I'll keep trying. I'm building up the emergency kit with these great suggestions at least so I'll have them on hand next time. Definitely no pasty bottoms though, I check that daily at this age.

If I do loose this one this will be my second out of 19 that I've raised and the other was a Lavender Orpington also. I don't know whether there is something about that breed or just bad luck but last time it was very similar, just not as fast. It's probably because I really wanted to add this breed to my flock I'm loving 'chickening' but this is the worst part.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

f I do loose this one this will be my second

Shipping can be hard on chicks.

But even without shipping.. once they hatch they can and do survive for about 3 days on their yolk. But right about there they also start relying on their own digestive system and such, so I consider it a critical time.

Some chicks do not connect with the food, even though they appear to be pecking at it. These guys usually display periods of loud peeping and are very unhappy chicks. It's not usually closed eye lethargy right away. And yes, it seems it's always the one that stings the most that is prone to elimination.

 

[Kirsti1217]

Been meaning to post all week. Good news, the sick chick survived after a lot of hand feeding. So happy she made it through. Had 2 others with mild symptoms that seem fine now as well.

However I did have one die without warning last week, I think she was a Dominique. Also last couple days another is looking very unhappy. Sitting all the time and spreading her wings. I think she is an Easter Egger and is noticeably smaller than the others now. Also a little strange but she seems to be very round and have a very short neck. I wonder if she has some congenital issues going on.

All remaining 6 chicks are doing great. I think I’ll stay away from mail order in future tho. Feels like there have been a lot of issues with this batch that I’ve not experienced before.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Been meaning to post all week. Good news, the sick chick survived after a lot of hand feeding. So happy she made it through. Had 2 others with mild symptoms that seem fine now as well.

However I did have one die without warning last week, I think she was a Dominique. Also last couple days another is looking very unhappy. Sitting all the time and spreading her wings. I think she is an Easter Egger and is noticeably smaller than the others now. Also a little strange but she seems to be very round and have a very short neck. I wonder if she has some congenital issues going on.

All remaining 6 chicks are doing great. I think I’ll stay away from mail order in future tho. Feels like there have been a lot of issues with this batch that I’ve not experienced before.

Glad to hear your little one survived.

The ones that is now having a rough time - can you post some photos of it and of her poop?
It's possible she may be failure to thrive, but it would be good to investigate further.

 

[Folly's place]

This is a very difficult time to have chicks shipped, and chilling will cause lots of issues. It's just hard!
In summer, excessive heat isn't so good either for shipping. I try for mid-April to mid-May for shipped chicks here, and once in a while things still won't go right.
I hope your survivors do well, I hate to loose any.
Mary

 

[Kirsti1217]

I have only seen ceacal like poop from her recently - orange and runny. Sorry no pics. I have no internet at home atm so makes posting harder. It definitely looks like poop I’ve seen before and no blood. They are also on a medicated chick starter and I have ‘save a chick’ electrolytes in the water. I am hand feeding her a mash of starter and plain yoghurt, but she’s not really cooperating. Much harder than the other chick who was sick to feed. She doesn’t even like to drink water from the dropper I’m trying with. Just keeps her beak closed and very rarely swallows.

Also would not have shipped if weather was not unseasonably warm, it was 40s and 50s at that time. They also travelled with a heat pack.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Sitting all the time and spreading her wings. I think she is an Easter Egger and is noticeably smaller than the others now. Also a little strange but she seems to be very round and have a very short neck.

I have only seen ceacal like poop from her recently - orange and runny. Sorry no pics. I have no internet at home atm so makes posting harder. It definitely looks like poop I’ve seen before and no blood.

medicated chick starter and I have ‘save a chick’ electrolytes in the water. I am hand feeding her a mash of starter and plain yoghurt, but she’s not really cooperating. Much harder than the other chick who was sick to feed. She doesn’t even like to drink water from the dropper I’m trying with.

She's what around 10-11 days old now? The roundness you mention is concerning - where exactly is the roundness? Is it in the abdomen? Her navel is healed correct?
Does she feel full of air?
The neck being short - does she have it drawn in or is it actually short?

Can she stand up and walk - you mention she's sitting all the time with her wings spread out - does she seem too hot?

Coccidiosis does come to mind. There are 9 strains and only 1-2 show as blood in the stool. Behavior and symptoms are often a better indicator unless you can take a sample to the vet for testing in quick order.

Try dropping water beside her beak and let it roll around the outer edge - see if she will take that in.