Dying baby

[SouthDakotaBrood]

Is there anything I can do for this little guy?

He's the smallest of my hatch and was getting trampled by the others so I put him on his own. He was super docile and friendly with me and I held him for a bit earlier today.

Now he's all stretched out laying down like a rubber chicken, weak, stretching his head way back and is only vaguely responsive.

Any ideas?

 

[TwoCrows]

You can try putting nutri-drench or some sort of vitamins in the water. Help strengthen him. If he is not drinking enough, you can try dipping his beak in the water several times a day. Many times that will get him to drink. Make sure there is food spread all over the floor around the feed area. Some quail take longer to figure out where the food is and starve to death.

 

[jbobs]

The medical term for the head being pulled all the way back like that is "opisthotonus." It can be a symptom of diseases such as newcastle, marek's, even selenium deficiency, and even just a defect. Not to be a downer but if it were me I would just put him out of his misery

 

[SouthDakotaBrood]

Just a quick update. About an hour after my post, my little guy died. I left to get the kids from school and came back and he was gone. I suspected it wouldn't be long, but he was just so sweet.

The pulled back head was only for the last couple hours, if that. Thanks for the medical term. Sounds like he just wasn't meant to be.

Thankfully, his hatch-mates are all doing really well and seem to be sprouting up overnight. It always amazes me how fast these guys mature.

Thanks so much for everyone's advice.

 

[jbobs]

too bad - it happens though. There's usually one or two in every batch that just aren't right. Good thing you have some healthy ones though!

 

[TwoCrows]

So sorry about your baby. But it sounds like the rest of them are doing well. Enjoy your new babies!