Chicks came, three dead and one with pasting and swaying on her feet

[darlingdarla]

It does not matter whether they are dried or fresh.

Which of the mentioned herbs ( thyme, oregano, sage and chamomile with some aniseed and fennel ) exactly do you have brewing for them?

I just realized I also don't have tyme.
I'm brewing fresh fennel, oregano, and sage. It's all I have right now, I can go to the store later and get more but right now I'm stuck home.

 

[LaFleche]

I just realized I also don't have tyme.
I'm brewing fresh fennel, oregano, and sage. It's all I have right now, I can go to the store later and get more but right now I'm stuck home.

And get a thermometer as well!

 

[darlingdarla]

And get a thermometer as well!

Yes it's on my list
I made a wet mash with their feed to see if that interested them at all. I don't think they're really eating, I'm boiling some eggs now.

 

[darlingdarla]

I don't know if I'm going to make it to the store tonight, I don't drive and I just lost my ride, and tomorrows up in the air because of appointments I can't cancel. I'm going to ask someone else to take me anyway but I don't know if it is going to work out (at least until mid-day tomorrow).

I asked a friend to lend me a thermometer, it's one he uses for work so I know it's accurate.
Cool side temperature hovers around 78 degrees at any point during the day.
Warm side is 84 except for directly under the lamp.
Directly under the lamp is between 95 and 94.
Everything cools down at night but not by much and under the heat lamp is always the same. I'm going to get a read on the heating pad tonight after they go to sleep.

Both babies are eating more now, they're more interested in the wet mash and both have fuller crops. The d'Uccle is trying to chirp more, and sometimes she manages to make a really quiet noise, but yesterday she wasn't chirping at all so I think that's progress. She looks like she's hot, but she keeps wanting to nap under the lamp.
I took them out while I changed their paper towels and they seemed really excited to stretch their wings. The d'Uccle walked around flapping her wings and acting mostly normal, she seems stiff but is sleeping a little less than yesterday and seems more alert. I'm really hoping she keeps improving over the next few days, I'm still worried I hurt her bad.

 

[darlingdarla]

I feel like they're preening themselves too much. It's starting to worry me a bit, I thought they were just being bothered by new feathers growing in but tonight the silky is being very loud and they've been preening for almost twenty minutes. They're picking at their vents more than anything now. I inspected them for mites or lice but don't see anything.
The d'Uccle's vent looks swollen to me, but I'm not sure.

 

[LaFleche]

Yes, this seems a constipated vent: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-diagnose-problem-and-find-cure.1386202/post-22762843

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/swollen-vent-with-blood.1393031/#post-22862815

Note: This occurs mostly when they are too hot.

I feel like they're preening themselves too much. It's starting to worry me a bit, I thought they were just being bothered by new feathers growing in but tonight the silky is being very loud and they've been preening for almost twenty minutes. They're picking at their vents more than anything now. I inspected them for mites or lice but don't see anything.
The d'Uccle's vent looks swollen to me, but I'm not sure.
View attachment 2244144View attachment 2244145

 

[darlingdarla]

Yes, this seems a constipated vent: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-diagnose-problem-and-find-cure.1386202/post-22762843

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/swollen-vent-with-blood.1393031/#post-22862815

Note: This occurs mostly when they are too hot.

Okay, I had her vent soak in some warm water for a few minutes. I didn't keep her in water for long because I didn't want to chill her, after I put a little coconut oil on her vent and tried to get her to eat a little. She had absolutely no interest in the coconut oil, so I mixed a little in with her food.
Both chicks are eating wet mash readily now and have full crops, and the d'Uccle's chirp is starting to come back.
I moved the lamp further away and am taking temperatures regularly, they're spending a lot of their time under the lamp.

 

[darlingdarla]

Also she's been pooping, her droppings are a little large but don't seem firm and don't look hard for her to pass. Both their droppings are pretty dark.
I'm keeping a very close eye on her and added probiotics to their water.

 

[darlingdarla]

She seemed better this morning, she ate a good amount and seemed excited to stretch her wings. But around two in the afternoon started acting down again. Most of the time she's standing under the heatlamp with her head tucked in and her tail lowered. I immediately was thinking of coccidiosis, but they're only ten days old and their droppings look normal, no blood, diarrhea, or yellow color.

She's been pecking at food a little bit, but her crop is a third of the size of her sisters. I've been keeping a close eye on her and have electrolytes and probiotics in their water now.
Then there's this...
I thought it was just an oddly light colored poop until I examined it and picked it apart. Now I'm wondering if it's some kind of worm.




I've been careful working between the adult coop and the brooder and have been changing their paper towels, water and feed daily. I'm very worried at this point and keeping a close eye on the chicks, but I don't know what to make of this.

 

[LaFleche]

Looks like some tissue or umbilical cord residue to me. Hopefully she will recover now that this obstruction no longer impedes a healthy metabolism.