Day old chick.... Need help/info...

[Mahan5175]

Hey all, I just received an order from meyer hatchery this morning, 1 of the 3 chicks, which is a partridge rock, has a very distended stomach and when I pick her (hopefully) up she keeps her eyes closed. She hasn't moved much in the past 4 hours, when I first put her in the brooder she did eat and drink plenty. I have checked for pasty butt, and it all looks normal. Am I just overreacting? Or has anyone ever had this happened?

 

[casportpony]

I will let you know, but I am not going to take her to a vet. I will do whatever I can at home.

Treating at home is what I would do... For me a trip to the vet for a sick day or two old chick is not financially wise thing to do.

-Kathy

 

[chasiekitten12]

Where is she/he laying is she/he been eating any more does it seem to be sick

 

[Mahan5175]

To be honest, I haven't been watching them constantly, but every time I have gone to the brooder for the past 4 hours (about 8 times) she is in one spot standing. So I don't know if she is going around and then just coming back to the same exact spot and standing there, or if she hasn't moved. ( i am guessing she hasn't moved because its odd when the rest of the chicks run away from my hand when i put it in the brooder and she just keeps standing there.) When I pick her up to check her, she closes her eyes and when I put her back down she just stands there.

 

[Mahan5175]

OK so I have dipped her beak again in the water and feed. She took a drink but wasn't about eating. It did seem like it took her a little longer than usual for her to swallow. I also moved her to directly under the heat lamp holding her in my hand and she kept her eyes closed,then I put her down to watch for 5-10 minutes like you suggested and she just stood there. I kept nudging her to move and she would nudge a little, without opening her eyes. She has found the other chicks to be next to, but she just seems very sleepy. I am sure she has been stressed, and I know they need their sleep. I am just worried about how she wont open her eyes and her stomach. These chicks are replacement chicks from the hatchery since I lost one of my welsummers on last weeks order.

 

[casportpony]

Hey all, I just received an order from meyer hatchery this morning, 1 of the 3 chicks, which is a partridge rock, has a very distended stomach and when I pick her (hopefully) up she keeps her eyes closed. She hasn't moved much in the past 4 hours, when I first put her in the brooder she did eat and drink plenty. I have checked for pasty butt, and it all looks normal. Am I just overreacting? Or has anyone ever had this happened?

Read these:

• https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mushy-chick-disease-yolk-sack-infection-omphalitis
• http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry/omphalitis/overview_of_omphalitis_in_poultry.html

I'm not saying that what it is, just that it might be.

-Kathy

 

[Mahan5175]

The only reason why I include the part of being replacement chicks, is because the 3 I got today are in the same brooder as the order I got last week. Meyer Hatchery said that was no problem. Which I have read it shouldn't be a problem since they are a week apart. But also it is 95 degrees in the brooder, and I don't want it to get too hot for the other chicks and have a bunch of sick chicks. They have plenty of water, so if it is that hot, they should be ok right?

 

[chasiekitten12]

It should be 100 in there for all chicks

 

[casportpony]

It should be 100 in there for all chicks

I keep mine at 95 for the first week.

-Kathy

 

[Mahan5175]

Everything I have ever read and been told has been 95 degrees for the first week and subtract 5 degrees from that each week. Thats what I did with my first flock. And right now all the other chicks aren't huddled together but sprawled out all over the brooder, even the travel mates of the chick in question.