Fading Chick

[bluemtnwmn]

I'm glad to hear the pasty butt is clearjng up! But sorry about the infection. I don't know much about those at this time but you may want to post to the Illness/Disease page for suggestions. Are all the chicks with the issue in the same brooder?

 

[mapurcel]

I'm glad to hear the pasty butt is clearjng up! But sorry about the infection. I don't know much about those at this time but you may want to post to the Illness/Disease page for suggestions. Are all the chicks with the issue in the same brooder?

I think I’m in that thread

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The towel provides shade, but oddly enough no one ever goes under it to sleep or hang out!

The towel is trapping the heat in, like an oven. It may be hotter in the area under the towel than right under the lamp. I'm sorry you're having such a hard time getting this sorted out, but hang in there, you'll get it!

 

[Ruskin_Roost]

I had one that I seriously considered culling due to pasty butt followed by constipation. He (I think) and my other chronic pasty butt chickie were much smaller than their siblings for weeks but are catching up now at 5 weeks.
Here is what I found worked for me:

Pasty butt can be caused by stress, overheating, and dehydration to name the main causes. Make sure the brooder temp is not too high (or low as that can cause stress) and that your chicks have a 'cool zone' away from the brooder light. If you haven't already, dip their beaks into their water to make sure they know where the water is. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in their drinking water can also help with pasty butt. Add 2 TBSP/gallon. As it needs to be remade every 24 hours for freshness, I made smaller batches when my chicks were little. 1 TBSP/ half gallon water or 1&1/2 TSP/ Quart (4 cups) water.
Cleaning pasty butt off under a light, warm (not hot) stream of water in the sink seems to be less chafing than using paper towels or a wash cloth,if the pasty butt is chronic.
A lubricant of some sort (Vaseline, coconut oil, even olive oil in a pinch) can help things slide more smoothly off the vent. Use a small amount as the other chicks may pick at the chicks vent if the down gets too oily and matted. Preparation H can help if the vent gets swollen. Use the original formula and not the pain relieving stuff.
In case of constipation, if you can get it to take some coconut oil and/or pineapple juice. I used a dropper for that. I was giving maybe 1/8 tsp twice a day of a half juice half oil mixture at 2 weeks so maybe 1/2 that much for your 1 week old.
Also, I had to give one of mine an enema as it got so stopped up it couldn't go at all. A small needleless syringe (found in the baby section of most stores with about a 1/4 tsp of warm (not hot) water slowly squirted into the vent can be quite helpful if it gets that bad. I had to do this twice before it stopped crying out when it tried to go, then I kept up the pineapple juice and coconut oil for about 3 days after.

Good luck with your chickie!

This post is extremely helpful. Thank you! Do you think I can use the same advice for my 2 day old coturnix quail chick? I have pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, Vaseline, coconut oil and preparation H. So far I have been using a warm clean wet Q-Tip to clear the vent and surrounding area but he is the smallest quail and I hate that I have to keep wetting him.

 

[JanInPA]

Newbie soon to be quail owner here. Great info! Never knew you could give a bird an enema. I'm waiting for eggs to hatch. I have 45 in the incubator.

 

[mapurcel]

Well the good news is she is not nearly as pasty probe anymore! Diligently dabbing antibiotic cream/Preparation H and adding ACV to water helped a lot with that. I also gave her some pineapple juice and coconut oil to help with constipation.

She stopped losing weight (maybe even gaining a little?! ). I rotate nutridrench/ACV in water and give the whole flock water/nutridrench soaked feed. They love it. I’m careful to change the damp bedding often.

She is still lethargic but after moving them all to a larger brooder in a tub (cardboard lined) with more space and cooler areas, everyone's energy is noticeably up! She’s a fighter for sure!

The only problem left seems to be respiratory. She’s had crackly breathing and had been breathing heavily consistently for over a week now. I’m concerned about a secondary infection. Within a few days 3 others started bubbling very faintly but don’t show signs of lethargy yet. Not sure if they aspirated from wet food, from past brooder being hot, or bacteria.

I ordered Baytril 10 online and am waiting for it to arrive on Wednesday. l I think once I administer it (syringe, oral to crackly chicks only) and provide probiotic feed, with time I will finally kick illness out of this flock!

 

[mapurcel]

Okay, so it has been two days since administering Baytril 10 orally to the sick chicks. I added water to make it a large enough dose to be syringe administered. I had to measure out .0045 mL of medicine which is roughly half of a drop.


There is such an improvement in Gizmo's behavior! She is running around, getting into a feeding frenzy like everyone else, and less lethargy naps!!

She is still breathing a bit hard because she has fluid in her lungs, but I think we will make a full recovery. I can not thank everyone enough for helping me to save this little bantam chick's life. From the bottom of my heart thank you.