Chick Making Crackling Sounds in Chest? Very Lethargic and Won't Stop Chirping? Help Needed!

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

If I were you I would find some way to measure the temperature down at the chick level, at several different spots in the brooder. I know too well how easy it is to assume the temp is steady everywhere. I had several problems with that myself. To keep myself from making the same mistake again, I had a thermometer in each section of the brooder. I checked each one at least once a day, usually several times. I still nearly chilled my birds once, and nearly set their bedding on fire another time. If your chick is lethargic and chirpy, I would really question the temperature; just from my experience.

Also, the crate they are in, is it an open cage like one, or is it one with plastic bottom and top with holes in the side?
If it is an open cage, you might want to put up a windbreak(cardboard or paper, or something to prevent drafts into the brooder.
Is there protection from the cold of the basement floor? I mean a layer of insulation between the floor of the brooder and the basement floor.

If it is the plastic kind of crate, is there enough air circulation? Does it smell? If it does, there might be fumes building up inside that are irritating to their lungs. Not sure what you would do about that, though, other than making another brooder. My setup was pretty easy, very rough, I kept them in my garage, and I had a play yard(for kids) that I used as the support for one; but they were basically cardboard taped together and made into circles, ovals, whatever, and duct taped to the floor. They had about 3 inches of bedding between them and the concrete floor, mainly to hold in the heat. I think I uploaded some pics here, if you were interested.

Is there a chance your chick is eating some while you are not watching? It does have access to a food dish all the time, right? Can it find the food easily? Maybe try sprinkling some chickstarter on a white napkin in front of the chick, maybe that can trigger it to want to peck.

I hope this is somewhat helpful to you, I am really tired right now and can't seem to get the words out the way I would like.
Carrie

The cage is sitting ontop of a table. It is a wire kind, not plastic. It does not smell and has good air circulation. I put tinfoil about 6 inches up the side of my cage to mainly keep the chicks from getting out. We have a woodstove in the basement too so she is not cold. I will take the thermometer and move it around the brooder, but I am pretty sure the temperature is fine. But it won't hurt to check I suppose. I am pretty sure she is not eating when I am not looking because she doesn't poop. I was holding her for a couple hours last night and she didn't poop at all. Which told me she wasn't eating even when I offered her cooked egg yolk or chick crumbles.

 

[clkingtx]

Thank you for explaining your setup, it sounds like you have everything taken care of. I always tried to keep my draft guard about 18 inches high, but yours probably is just fine in a still room with a steady warm room temperature; especially if your other chicks are doing fine. I hope none of my questions seemed rude; that wasn't my intention. I'm not sure what else to suggest... I would try to find an antibiotic, if you are able to, today. I like to have one on hand, just in case. But do check the temps around the brooder, if you can. If I remember right, chicks during their first week need the temps in the high nineties. Most of mine did fine starting out with temps about 90; but 1 batch of chicks needed it nearly 100 for their first week(they chirped incessantly until I raised the temp high enough)

. Do you think you could tempt the chick with some safe grass, or some lettuce, or something like that, to get it pecking? I received a shipment of chicks once and the seller had included cress leaves for the chicks to eat on the trip, said it encouraged them to eat, and hydrated them.

I am sorry your chick is not doing well. If it is not pooping at all, there probably won't be anything you can do for it. I believe even if it isn't eating, it should still "poop", at least the watery portion of poop, since chickens pee and poop is excreted together. If it is not, there may be something internally not working right. Just one last thought, have you checked for pasty butt? Is it's vent clean? You probably already checked this, but it's the only other thing I could think of.

I'm sorry I couldn't be more help to you. Maybe someone else will come along who knows more.
Carrie

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

Thank you for explaining your setup, it sounds like you have everything taken care of. I always tried to keep my draft guard about 18 inches high, but yours probably is just fine in a still room with a steady warm room temperature; especially if your other chicks are doing fine. I hope none of my questions seemed rude; that wasn't my intention. I'm not sure what else to suggest... I would try to find an antibiotic, if you are able to, today. I like to have one on hand, just in case. But do check the temps around the brooder, if you can. If I remember right, chicks during their first week need the temps in the high nineties. Most of mine did fine starting out with temps about 90; but 1 batch of chicks needed it nearly 100 for their first week(they chirped incessantly until I raised the temp high enough)

. Do you think you could tempt the chick with some safe grass, or some lettuce, or something like that, to get it pecking? I received a shipment of chicks once and the seller had included cress leaves for the chicks to eat on the trip, said it encouraged them to eat, and hydrated them.

I am sorry your chick is not doing well. If it is not pooping at all, there probably won't be anything you can do for it. I believe even if it isn't eating, it should still "poop", at least the watery portion of poop, since chickens pee and poop is excreted together. If it is not, there may be something internally not working right. Just one last thought, have you checked for pasty butt? Is it's vent clean? You probably already checked this, but it's the only other thing I could think of.

I'm sorry I couldn't be more help to you. Maybe someone else will come along who knows more.
Carrie

Thank you for your post. I do not find your questions rude at all, so no worries. You are being very helpful to me.

I was able to get some duramacin-10 antibiotic at the feedstore today. So I am hoping that will help I just have to get the right dosage amount, how to give it to her and how often.

She does not have pasty butt (I have checked). She has pooped a little a few days ago I think. But it was the green kind of newborn poop. I will try the lettuce trick and see if I can get her to eat.

Thanks for your help.

 

[clkingtx]

You are welcome. I hope your little one perks up and does better.

Here is a website about duramycin 10, in case you don't have instructions on the package. It seems to say the usual dosage is 1-2 tsp per gallon which would be 1/4 to 1/2 tsp per quart, or 1/8 to 1/4 tsp per pint.

http://www.barnworld.com/sa/cart/detail.asp?pg={E0FC133F-A081-4669-849B-947DBDD63987}

Carrie

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

I got her to drink 1/4 teaspoons of water with Duramacin in it using a syringe!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

"Affected birds do not eat and will sometimes march from feed pan to feed pan, vocalizing a high pitched cry."
from
http://www.clemson.edu/public/lph/ahp/disease_links/images/coccidia.pdf

Don't forget to consider coccidiosis. I know that doesn't explain the crackling sounds. But if she doesn't get better you might try some corid. You should see an improvement in 24 hours if that is what it was. Don't give vitamins with corid.

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

"Affected birds do not eat and will sometimes march from feed pan to feed pan, vocalizing a high pitched cry."
from
http://www.clemson.edu/public/lph/ahp/disease_links/images/coccidia.pdf

Don't forget to consider coccidiosis. I know that doesn't explain the crackling sounds. But if she doesn't get better you might try some corid. You should see an improvement in 24 hours if that is what it was. Don't give vitamins with corid.

Thank you. I was thinking about coccidiosis but I thought it was out of the equation because I thought coccidiosis lived in the soil? Now from reading that article I assume it does not. She is semi seperated from the rest of my chicks. And the rest of the chicks show no signs or symptoms of coccidiosis. How would my chick have got this? I will definitaly keep that in mind if the Duramacin does not work and my chick is still having these symptoms.


How long should I keep my chick on Duramacin for? She is doing very good. Drinking it right up. She has opened her eyes and seems to be less uncomfortable tonight. She did spit up though but I soon realised it was due to me giving her too much water at once. I have since cut back on the amount of water she ingests per feeding. She also pooped too. Her poop was watery (as to be expected). I have not seen any red/blood in her poop.

 

[clkingtx]

I am really glad to hear she pooped! I am unsure she could have coccidiosis, because the incubation period is 2-5 days. She would have had to have been infected as soon as she hatched. Of course if any of the eggs in the incubator were contaminated(had poop or dirt on them), or the incubator had not been disinfected from a previous hatch, I guess it could be a possibility. It does match some of her behaviour. But for a chick to never start eating is quite unusual, and not typical of coccidiosis that I know of. I hope she starts eating something soon. Have you tried any greens? Or tried chick starter again?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:

It can be carried in on your shoes/equipment/hands from the soil outside. It is just a thought. One of the breeders on here said that she had a case of it in a chick that had never been out of the brooder onto ground before. I assume it was carried in somehow.

I tend to agree with clkingtx though in that it is probably unlikely...but it never hurts to consider it in these new chicks. I am thinking at this point that maybe she has an internal defect which is preventing her from eating or wanting to eat...I hope I am wrong.

 

[TheWeeBee]

@clkingtx I am having the same problem with a button quail hen at the moment. She is eating, drinking, and seems otherwise healthy, but has recently begun exhibiting these crackling sounds within her body and sneezing occasionally. She's kept indoors, has never had exposure to common poultry infections, and is not lethargic or showing any of the typical symptoms of an infection. Yours is the only post I've been able to find that seems to describe her symptoms to a tee.