Emergency. Can a 5 wo chick with no tongue survive? Further issues.

[sarahannecloud9]

Could things get worse here?

I was getting the 5 wo chicks out to spray with blue kote because we have 2 chicks picking feathers.

One chick was awfully sweet and I noticed how light she was. I looked her over well and she is all bones. And kinda cold. I took her in the house trying to figure out why??!! I looked in her mouth and she has no tongue. Actually, she has an undeveloped one in the very back. So small I didn't notice it right away. I know each chick and she had not always been this thin. She's the normal size for her age, just extreamly frail. She's still in the house with a 40 wat light for warmth. She likes to under it. I'm giving her electrolye water, chick feed, and a mix of chick feed mash and grits with extra water.


Has anyone had an experience with this or know someone who has? Ever even hear of this? I don't mind if she will ever lay from becoming so malnourished. I just need to get this girl better and focus on learning how to properly care for her. She seems to prefur the dry feed, guess because she's just used to it. She shakes her head after taking a bite and tries again. Drinks a lot.

I just can't believe we have another problem. Am I jinxed? I just got the flock treated for the secong go round for scaly leg because I brought in new chickens. I treated them as always and still introduced something. I also have a girl suffering with a skin condition.


Please, does anyone know of any good links? Anything. She's so frail I need this girl back to help asap! I offered some soft things but she refused. I'll try whatever.


TIA!

 

[chickenzoo]

I have no experience with this....but this is what id do. She has made it to five weeks with only a parshal tongue. I would treat her with Corid encased she has coccidia. Wouldn't hurt to do the othersjut encase. Feed.her.broken up pieces of scrambled egg...easy to grab and swallow. You might pick up some.baby parrot feeding formula.do not wet it...feed it to her as a powder. Or you can grind up her starter a little finer....but the formula has lots of good stuff in it. Add poultry nutri drench vitamins to her water. Keep her warm under a light in the house.... Hope this helps.

 

[sarahannecloud9]

Thanks so much. I'll go scramble her some eggs now.
I'll also get the stuff from the store asap too.


Thanks a million for the help!

 

[chickenzoo]

I find Corid at my local TSC. It is a swine and cattle med...but used on poultry. Most people working there however don't have a.clue...Hehe. Best wishes

 

[sarahannecloud9]

I actually have all sorts of meds on hand. I had TONS of issues when we first bought that first batch of chicks, then this new batch. Now I'm sticking to hatching my own! Stupid people just sell ya sick animals. I even checked over the first batch, very healthy looking. This group was isolated and treated, then introduced. I guess the scaly leg mites didn't all die and I got one heck of an infestation with the feathered leg gals. it's been one thing after another. Gap worm, cocci, scaly leg, the skin on the one moma, feather picking chicks, now this poor girl! I have more emergency stuff for them than us, ha!

Yep, our feed stores had no clue either. Thanks goodness I had done my research of ingredients.

I really appriceate the help. I have some baby bird formula powder but I know it's out of date. Do you think it would still be ok? I just didn't know. I sure don't have the money for more, but was planning on spending it on her anyhow. It's priority.

Gonna go see if she ate her eggs.

 

[chickenzoo]

I don't think it spoils quickly...so give it a shot.

 

[Marty1876]

Another method is to make mush from your starter she's been eating, then use a long narrow syringe, with the shot end cut off to make it more like a chute with a plunger, to draw in food, and place far back in her mouth and feed her. Get it withen reach of her tongue, but don't everfeed all at once. Give her 1cc at a time until you see what she can handle. It won't take her long to be eager for morning and evening feedings.

 

[sarahannecloud9]

I used to hand feed my Moma's baby birds all the time. I never realised you could hand feed a chicken chick the same way. Just never crossed my mind it was ok.

Thanks, great tip. That should get her started of on the right foot!

 

[chickenzoo]

I believe the chick is still eating. I would caution using any wet food for a bird with defective tongue....if it got caught up it would be hard for her to position it....

 

[sarahannecloud9]

It wouldn't be pasty, more liquid in a syringe, to squirt past the tongue into the crop. That's how it was with baby exotic birds. Thoughts?