Chick poisoned by bug?

[heronz]

I was hanging out with my chicks and their mother when the smallest one went after and swallowed a bug.
Poor thing started digging at it's throat and crop immediately,
Started flopping around and going nuts.
I picked it up and tried to see if I could get whatever out of the throat-no luck.
Tried to interest it in gravel to drive it down in case it was just big and got stuck.
Wouldn't take water either.
Meanwhile the mother wants to kill me because she thinks I am hurting the chick.
Lost it pretty quick.

We have been getting a lot of lady bugs lately-ants and spiders.
Not sure what one it got but lost that baby fast.

Any ideas?

 

[MontanaDolphin]

I do not believe it was poisoned...the chick wouldn't have reacted that quickly if it had been I would think..unless it was a poisonous spider like a black widow, and the black widow bit the chick before or during being swallowed. My thoughts are that something was either biting or stinging it inside its throat. There are quite a few bugs that could do this...where do you live?

 

[debid]

Probably choked to death. That would explain the reaction and speed of demise. I'm sorry for your loss. It must have been difficult not be able to save the chick.

 

[kynewbchickie]

My husband found a fledgling mourning dove a few years back that was acting strangely...he tried desperately to save the little fella. He figured out it had an impacted crop full of larger gravels and sticks - poor thing was so thirsty. We had it in a box in the kitchen with electrolyte water in a waterer and I even bought a small bag of feed to coax it to eat. It got so weak and started crying the "death cry" - husband had to cull it. We both cried.

He grew up raising roller pigeons for competition, so he's the bird person...he says after reading your post it sounds like it may have been stung/bitten and in all the cane-raisin' it got lodged to where the baby choked to death. He says the ToD you describe correlates to several fledgling pigeons he'd had over the years that took a special interest in wasps that got too close - they'd snatch them, the wasp would sting repeatedly, and in their fits they'd keel over from choking. Even had a wasp fly out of one's mouth to sting HIM because he was holding the bird trying to keep it from dying.

I'm so sorry you lost one. :/

 

[heronz]

I do not believe it was poisoned...the chick wouldn't have reacted that quickly if it had been I would think..unless it was a poisonous spider like a black widow, and the black widow bit the chick before or during being swallowed. My thoughts are that something was either biting or stinging it inside its throat. There are quite a few bugs that could do this...where do you live?

I live in New Hampshire.
She did act as though something was biting her inside.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Oh how awful! Maybe it was a spider or something.

I am sorry for your loss.