Chick wont stop gasping and chirping!

Nervous_mama

Hatching
May 26, 2025
6
2
4
One of the chicks I've been raising (2 weeks old) has been concerning me. It'll chirp while seemingly gasping? Or opening its beak with every breath, as well as twitching? So it'll do it in this order:
1)open its mouth in what I'm assuming is a gasp
2) chirp quietly 2 or 3 times
3)twitch by shaking its head and chirping loudly once (sometimes it'll hit its head on the brooder wall)
4) repeat 1-3 over and over

Its been doing that for two days, I've tried giving it sugar water but it doesn't seem to do anything. It eats, drinks and poops normally, I've tried turning the heat lamp off incase it's overheating but it made no difference in its behavior. The chick is a turken chick incase that's important.
 
One of the chicks I've been raising (2 weeks old) has been concerning me. It'll chirp while seemingly gasping? Or opening its beak with every breath, as well as twitching? So it'll do it in this order:
1)open its mouth in what I'm assuming is a gasp
2) chirp quietly 2 or 3 times
3)twitch by shaking its head and chirping loudly once (sometimes it'll hit its head on the brooder wall)
4) repeat 1-3 over and over

Its been doing that for two days, I've tried giving it sugar water but it doesn't seem to do anything. It eats, drinks and poops normally, I've tried turning the heat lamp off incase it's overheating but it made no difference in its behavior. The chick is a turken chick incase that's important.
What is your brooder like, do you have a dusty enclosed brooder?
I’d also listen for any cracking/bubbly sounds in the lungs
Also a video of this behaviour would be useful, you can create a YouTube video and post the link here
 
What is your brooder like, do you have a dusty enclosed brooder?
I’d also listen for any cracking/bubbly sounds in the lungs
Also a video of this behaviour would be useful, you can create a YouTube video and post the link here
The brooder is small since I was never planning on having chicks (my family impulsively bought some and left me to care for them :/), but it's not dusty I don't think. I hadn't even thought of a video so thank you, the link is below

 
The brooder is small since I was never planning on having chicks (my family impulsively bought some and left me to care for them :/), but it's not dusty I don't think. I hadn't even thought of a video so thank you, the link is below

I think that’s too small, try to get a bigger one, she may not be able to escape the heat properly
I’ll call in some experts
@Wyorp Rock
@Eggcessive
 
How warm is the brooder, and the room temperature? Do you have a thermometer in the brooder? Can you show a picture of the brooder and chicks? They grow rapidly, and need plenty of room. Ammonia odor from their droppings, and water spills mixing with poop and spilled feed can mold and cause brooder pneumonia, a fungal disease. Make sure they have room, clean pine shavings, and good ventilation. That can help to prevent respiratory diseases. They need a heat source or temperature of around 75-80 until they grow in their feathers at about 6 weeks old, but also a cooler spot to escape when too warm.
 
How warm is the brooder, and the room temperature? Do you have a thermometer in the brooder? Can you show a picture of the brooder and chicks? They grow rapidly, and need plenty of room. Ammonia odor from their droppings, and water spills mixing with poop and spilled feed can mold and cause brooder pneumonia, a fungal disease. Make sure they have room, clean pine shavings, and good ventilation. That can help to prevent respiratory diseases. They need a heat source or temperature of around 75-80 until they grow in their feathers at about 6 weeks old, but also a cooler spot to escape when too warm.
Unfortunately I don't have a thermometer (I'll buy one as soon as I can though). It's currently been in the 70-90s in terms of weather outside though so I've been occasionally turning the heat lamp off incase that overheats them. There's a picture of the brooder below (I appreciate the advice and help btw!!)
 

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