Constipated chick

[ThePhoebeFive]

I have a chick with a firm belly and a protruding vent. I'm guessing constipation. I'm going to give her olive oil and an epsom salt bath or two. I'm thinking about putting vaseline on a q-tip and putting it in her vent very carefully and not very far in. Any thoughts on this idea? Anything else that firm belly and protruding vent could be a sign of? If I'm treating her, is she likely to *not* make it?

 

[ThePhoebeFive]

I have a chick with a firm belly and a protruding vent. I'm guessing constipation. I'm going to give her olive oil and an epsom salt bath or two. I'm thinking about putting vaseline on a q-tip and putting it in her vent very carefully and not very far in. Any thoughts on this idea? Anything else that firm belly and protruding vent could be a sign of? If I'm treating her, is she likely to *not* make it?

I forgot to mention, she is not peeping any more than her roomates.

EDIT: Maybe she is peeping a bit more, but it's hard to tell. I just brought her home, so she might just be louder

 

[ThePhoebeFive]

She has pooped a couple times after her bath, but I still would like to know the answers to my questions.

 

[Iluveggers]

What are they eating? Have they been outside at all? Are you providing grit?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Coconut oil, is best for treating constipation. Must be fed as hardened chunks, makes it easier to give.

 

[ThePhoebeFive]

What are they eating? Have they been outside at all? Are you providing grit?

I just brought her home. She was eating chick food, but I always feed mine layer feed (and supplement the protein), I don't know if she ate anything when she came home. She has not been outside yet. At the store they were not offering her grit. I don't bother with grit, because I free range the adults, and the babies I take outside daily (for small increments to start) and they tend to eat sand. I've never had problems feeding chicks this way (both with the layer feed and grit).

Coconut oil, is best for treating constipation. Must be fed as hardened chunks, makes it easier to give.

We do not have coconut oil. I would have tried butter, but she's not interested in eating, so olive oil is the best option.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I just brought her home. She was eating chick food, but I always feed mine layer feed (and supplement the protein), I don't know if she ate anything when she came home. She has not been outside yet. At the store they were not offering her grit. I don't bother with grit, because I free range the adults, and the babies I take outside daily (for small increments to start) and they tend to eat sand. I've never had problems feeding chicks this way (both with the layer feed and grit).

We do not have coconut oil. I would have tried butter, but she's not interested in eating, so olive oil is the best option.

You feed chicks layer feed? The calcium is way too high, it causes kidney calcification, & death in chicks. If you're going to feed a flock of youngsters, hens, & roosters mixed in it's recommended to feed a flock Raiser/all flock feed.

 

[Iluveggers]

She won’t need grit if she’s only getting chick feed. Agree with @MysteryChicken layer feed is only good for laying hens. Harmful to chicks.

 

[ThePhoebeFive]

You feed chicks layer feed? The calcium is way too high, it causes kidney calcification, & death in chicks. If you're going to feed a flock of youngsters, hens, & roosters mixed in it's recommended to feed a flock Raiser/all flock feed.

She won’t need grit if she’s only getting chick feed. Agree with @MysteryChicken layer feed is only good for laying hens. Harmful to chicks.

I've done it that way for a few years and never had problems. I will change it if I continue having issues.

 

[ThePhoebeFive]

I've done it that way for a few years and never had problems. I will change it if I continue having issues.

Money is tight right now. That is one reason why I am doing layer feed instead of chick feed. Another reason is that when a mother hen has her babies outside all day, you can't control the percentage of protein or calcium they are getting. My broody-hen-raised chicks have always been bigger and stronger that the others (even the ones raised on chick feed). I know that some people prefer to feed them chick feed, but right now, especially since I've raised multiple batches on adult feed, this is what I have to do.

I do need to know, though: Should I try to put vaseline inside her vent? If I'm treating her, does she have a high chance of surviving?

EDIT: I want to make sure this came across the way I meant it to. I don't think anyone who does chick feed is wrong. It's just that we don't.