One of my newish chicks, I've had them for about 2 weeks, appears to be in distress. Whenever she poos she chirps loudly and it tends to take a lot longer than it should. 5 to 10 seconds sometimes instead of basically instant. She seems to be tucking her tail. And looking her over today her vent seems almost distended. Does anyone know what might be wrong? I did have a cocci issue that i nuat fi ished treating them all for. Could that be related? I do want to include that other than that one thing she is totally normal, eating actively at a normal amount and drinking regularly as well.
Make sure the brooder temperature is not too hot, and they have a cooler spot to get to. Dehydration can cause constipation, as well as something stuck in the GI tract such as bedding. You may want to give her a few drops of molasses or castor oil to lube the tubes. Stimulation of the vent with a QTip and some olive oil might help also.
