- Oct 15, 2011
- 96
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Sorry, a bit long.
I received 25 assorted chicks on Friday. As seems to be my luck, there was one little one who seemed just a bit slower then the others. I figured I'd keep and eye on it and let things be. By the afternoon it was trying to nap with his head all funny, and made 'gaping' motions every so often, so I separated it from the others and went to bed. In the morning it was not looking good. Gasping all the time and crackling noises in its chest. I'm my usual morning incompetence I simply added duramycin to the water and left, assuming it would drink and get at least a little bit better. When I returned from morning chores it was flat out limp-as-a-noodle unconscious. No response to noise or pain. Breathing through the mouth with a loud pop and crackle for every breath.
I know the smart thing to do would have been to give up and let it go, but I've had four birds die on me in the past week. No more dying is allowed. So I stuck a q-tip down its throat. Came up with a ton of mucus. Did that a few times and it could breath though it's nose again. Did that every five minutes for 4 hours straight. Finally there was no more mucus. One check I found it flipped over, I thought the worst, but when I went to pick it up there was a twitch! Soon after there was a pain response, then a noise response, then one of the best half-a-second-long stinkeyes I've ever seen.
Right now it's sleeping, breathing well though still crackling. Can't stay awake for more then a few seconds though. When it does have enough strength to stay awake I try to get some food into it. Not much luck on that front though.
I did my best not to but I ended up giving it a name, so everyone, please think good thoughts for Sterling.
If anyone has any home remedies that will help clear up respiratory infections I would love to hear them. I have no transportation until Thursday so the Duramycin and Sulmet are the only antibiotics are all I have.
And because pics are mandatory in this situation:
On Friday:
During unconscious phase: (The tissue is so it would stop breathing in shavings)
I received 25 assorted chicks on Friday. As seems to be my luck, there was one little one who seemed just a bit slower then the others. I figured I'd keep and eye on it and let things be. By the afternoon it was trying to nap with his head all funny, and made 'gaping' motions every so often, so I separated it from the others and went to bed. In the morning it was not looking good. Gasping all the time and crackling noises in its chest. I'm my usual morning incompetence I simply added duramycin to the water and left, assuming it would drink and get at least a little bit better. When I returned from morning chores it was flat out limp-as-a-noodle unconscious. No response to noise or pain. Breathing through the mouth with a loud pop and crackle for every breath.
I know the smart thing to do would have been to give up and let it go, but I've had four birds die on me in the past week. No more dying is allowed. So I stuck a q-tip down its throat. Came up with a ton of mucus. Did that a few times and it could breath though it's nose again. Did that every five minutes for 4 hours straight. Finally there was no more mucus. One check I found it flipped over, I thought the worst, but when I went to pick it up there was a twitch! Soon after there was a pain response, then a noise response, then one of the best half-a-second-long stinkeyes I've ever seen.
Right now it's sleeping, breathing well though still crackling. Can't stay awake for more then a few seconds though. When it does have enough strength to stay awake I try to get some food into it. Not much luck on that front though.
I did my best not to but I ended up giving it a name, so everyone, please think good thoughts for Sterling.
If anyone has any home remedies that will help clear up respiratory infections I would love to hear them. I have no transportation until Thursday so the Duramycin and Sulmet are the only antibiotics are all I have.
And because pics are mandatory in this situation:
On Friday:
During unconscious phase: (The tissue is so it would stop breathing in shavings)
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