Few Days Old Chick - Some sort of impacted throat? Please help! Pictures! -- Resolved Sort Of

[Rhode Island Rita]

I have a buff orpington chick who's about seven days old. And he/she has been regurgitating and then making gasping motions (beak opening, neck extended) for two days. Today I noticed a bulge under her chin. Large, and kind of hard, with a little give.

Additional info: She was pounced on the day she hatched (out under a broody hen) and had the skin around her neck ripped off. That wound is stable, and showing no signs of infection. But might be contributing? I've got antibiotics in the water for it. The bedding in use is wood shaving stuff I got at the feed store. We've used it before to no ill effects, but there's a first time for everything.

Pics:



And here's some poop she/he graced me with while I was taking pictures:


UPDATE: I tried feeding her some oil and massaging the mass in her throat, but it was to no avail. The chick died sometime in the night, and this morning I pulled a lot of bedding out of her post-mortem. The bedding, plus a significant amount of swelling, cut off her ability to breathe, I think. Switching the remaining chicks to paper towels.

 

[Rhode Island Rita]

Additionally: I can't take her to a vet, so I need some home remedy suggestions if any of you have any idea what's going on.

 

[Rhode Island Rita]

Seriously, any help at all. I'll even take wild conspiracy theories.

 

[Kikiriki]

There are almost no solids in that poop, so it does seem like something could be blocking food at the crop or in the throat, especially since you say food is coming back up. I am no expert, by any means, but if it were me, I would try a crop surgery. You can look that up: crop surgery pictures.

I hope you can save your chick and that some folks with experience will help you! Sorry for little bird

 

[nurse_turtle]

It may be infection that has drained from the wound. There could even be scar tissue from the wound healing. I don't think it's anything to do with her crop. Is her crop full or empty? Does the mass feel hot to the touch? If I were going to do anything, maybe use an exacto knife and make a small slit into the mass to express whatever is in there. The identification of the contents of that mass will help tremendously with her diagnosis.

 

[Rhode Island Rita]

Actually, no food is coming up. It's a clear liquid. A bit bubbly?

And for slicing into it, I'm a little bit afraid I'll hit an air tube or something. How deep would I slice, and where?

 

[NorCalChicks101]

Try holding her in one hand and tipping her forward/upside down and try to move the mass either up or down her throat. She may have ingested bedding to large to pass. I know that a chick vomiting is not good but I have cleared a sour crop this way before..


Best wishes!

 

[Rhode Island Rita]

Unfortunately, she didn't make it. But I figured out what the culprit was this morning after she died. She'd gotten a lot of bedding stuck in her throat. Switching over to something not so ingestable.

 

[Kikiriki]

So sorry

It is weird how so many people use shavings but only some chicks try to eat them. My three girls are now eleven or twelve weeks old and still will not eat anything even kind of big. I have to shell sunflower seeds for them or they just flick them on the ground! I try leaving some of the shell on so they learn what is inside.