Chicks dying with protruding keel bone?

[ChestnutRidge]

I had a 3-day old chick who seemed lethargic, so I fed her water with vitamins. Her eyes were often closed, and she would "gasp" with her mouth between sips of water, sometimes breathing normally. I laid her on her back on my hand to rub her crop and stomach to stimulate her and see if I could feel anything off. I noticed that her keel bone seemed very sharp, almost protruding from her chest. I tried to care for her for a day, but she died overnight.

Now, three weeks later, I have another one - 6 days old and of a different breed - that is acting exactly the same. I flipped him over to feel his crop and stomach, and he actually cried out when I touched his chest. I parted the fluff on his chest, and it appears that his keel bone is actually protruding through his skin.

What the heck? Has anyone seen this before, and what is it? Is it something I did wrong during incubation or brooding? How can I prevent it?

I think it is too late for this chick. The Poultry Health Handbook mentions deficiency in vitamin d for keel deformities, but that seems to be older birds. If it is vitamin d, perhaps it is because I am using a different brand of starter this year. Still, there is vitamin d in the "vitamins and electrolytes" powder that I have been mixing into their water.

Any ideas?

 

[leadwolf1]

These babies are starving. Why, I don't know. What kind of chick starter are you using?

If this baby dies, I would have a necropsy done, something is definitely wrong here. Just as a shot in the dark, I would treat for coccidia. It won't hurt and it just might help.

 

[lilchick]

I call it failure to thrive. Some chicks are not able to absorb and use nutrients and die in a few days after they use up their egg sac nutrition. If they gasp and open close the mouth it seems they pass away pretty quickly.
Not much you can do about keeping them alive. If you try to force feed they are miserable and usually drag it out and they die anyway. Sorry to sound so harsh but I let nature takes it's course.

 

[rbaker0345]

I would treat with a coccidiostat just in case it is coccidia. Watch for lethargic chicks.