Chick's nostrils not open all the way?

[DancingRoo]

I have an Olive Egger chick that doesn't look like her nostrils are open as much as the others. She's much smaller than the rest. She's about a month old and has been doing very well, despite her petite size. She's not eating unless I hand feed her. I try to offer her food, just a few bites, every 15 to 30 minutes and also dip her beak in water. I'm using a jar lid that I tip sideways for both food & water and it works okay. I've made her a slurry of chick feed, organic yogurt, a sprinkle of electrolytes and a very small amount of corn syrup (like putting a few drops on the end of a toothpick). She wants to be held constantly. If I put her back with the other chicks she screams like a banshee until I pick her up again. She's definitely a fighter, though. Here's pictures of her nose. Sorry about the blurriness of the second one. It's hard to photograph a wiggle worm.

Thanks,
Cindie

 

[Eggcessive]

She sounds like she is a pretty weak chick. Does she have symptoms of coccidiosis--lethargy, diarrhea or blood in droppings, puffed up or hunched posture, and refusal to eat? Corid (amprollium) from the feed store cattle section will help treat it. She could have blocked nostrils due to feed getting caked in there especially if you are adding water to her feed. Here is a good article about cleaning blocked nostrils and how to clean them: http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/PluggedNare/PluggedNare.html

 

[DancingRoo]

I've been putting sulfadimethoxine in their water for the past couple days and putting some in her water that I hand feed her. The lady at my feed store said its a little easier on their system than corvid. She had a rather large but normal poop on the blanket I had her sitting on. But she is puffed up and lethargic. I noticed her walking backwards just a bit when I put her back in with the others. It just seems odd one of them would get something after a month. They haven't been exposed to the other chickens yet. Usually I put a pan of dirt from an area the older chickens bathe in so they can have the same exposure chicks raised by mama get and planned on doing it when I put knew shavings down tomorrow.

Thanks for the link. I'll check it out. It doesn't look like there's anything stuck in them it just looks like the little overhangy part is overgrown if that makes sense. I do have some vitamin e gel caps so I'm going to squeeze a drop in her food I make this evening.

Cindie