Heart attack?

[Fowl Mouth]

Have a 2 week old chick, is a lone chick but has a feather duster and beanie baby buddy with him.

Today he was walking around being a normal chick, then all of a sudden out of the blue he cheeped real loud, ran around his brooder, then collapsed in a heap in the corner under the lamp with his wings pointed down under his belly and his neck bent over his back. Both feet stretched out straight. Heavy but steady breathing. I moved him away from the lamp so he wouldn't overheat and let him lie near his feather duster.

A minute or two went by, then he relaxed, stood up, fluffed himself, and is now acting perfectly normal like nothing happened.

The ONLY things I can think is a small twist tie fell from the roof of the cage and scared him so bad he had a mini heart attack of sorts...? Scared himself into shock?? Had a seizure from the sudden scare???


He is on paper towel bedding as its easier to keep clean. His water is changed twice daily, and he gets fresh medicated starter. Ive had him since day 1 and this is the first issue aside from some minor sneezing I have had with him.


Any ideas?

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like a seizure. If he had of stayed in the position with the neck, that is called wry neck or opisthonatos. Some chicks can have vitamin deficiencies that can cause various neurological symptoms, and injuries or disease might also cause this. I would give him poultry vitamins in his water each day, or give him PolyVisol without iron 3 drops by mouth daily or put on his feed. Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin E, and the mineral selenium are usually the treatment for wry neck, if he develops this, but if not just stick with the vitamins. Did you plan to have an only chick, and are you getting any others to be with him?

 

[Fowl Mouth]

I had been using savachick electrolytes and probiotics in his water for a few days. He had two brooder companions when I first got him but both died the first night from unknown issues.

I don't have access to polyvosol immediately but can check on it in a few days. The only thing I have on hand is duramycin powder.

 

[Fowl Mouth]

He had another episode, same as the first, this morning around 11am. Nothing to trigger it at all, no scares or anything. He just chirped really loud, flapped a bit, and fell over. Took him longer to come around this time, he stayed limp for about 2 minutes, breathing steady the whole time and chirping a bit, but unable to stand or move during this time.
Once it wore off, he went back to acting perfectly normal, eating and romping around like a chick should.

 

[Eggcessive]

I'm not very sure this chick is going to make it, having seizures, and with what you say, the breeder doesn't sound very competent. This is not the way to start your flock--the chick could be a carrier of a disease, but also of bad genetics from vitamin deficiency and poor nutrition. I would probably put the chick down, clean and disinfect my brooder, and get some healthy chicks from a hatchery or feed store. You could give him a little more time to see if he makes it, but I wouldn't expect him to thrive. Some hatcheries such as Meyer in Polk, Ohio will ship as few as 3-4 chicks, but getting them from a feed store may be less expensive.

 

[Fowl Mouth]

You saw the thread with my hunchbacked hen.... ironically, this chick and that hen came from the same location.

 

[Fowl Mouth]

Had his third seizure last night around 10pm CST. That's been 3 seizures over 2 days. It was the same as the others, lasted roughly 90-120 seconds, then he was back up, fluffed his feathers, and went about his business. He has not had any yet today, which is good... I hope. He's still acting fine, eating and drinking well, romping around chasing shadows and reflections that show up on his brooder floor. I noticed he does sleep a bit more than he used to, but I imagine the seizures (or whatever they are) wear him out. And it's not so much sleep that Im going to worry on that front, because once I open his brooder door and talk to him, he perks right up and comes over to my hand or the new food/water I place in.

I won't cull him unless his quality of life seems to be low, and aside from his little seizure episodes, he acts like a perfectly normal baby. If he's going to hang on, Im going to attempt to help as much as I can... as futile as it may be in the end.

I got my hands on some Poly Vi Sol today and he had his first drops, he got about 2 and a half... the half ended up down his chest and on my hand, but he got two good drops in his mouth. Hoping it works, or at least gives him a bit of a vitamin boost if that is his lack. I put him back on Sav A Chick Electrolytes but he is not on the probiotics, should I have him on both? Either?

Ill do some separate reading on the Polyvisol, but how long should I keep doing his daily drops? (Assuming, of course, he keeps waking up from any future seizures he may have...) I'm putting them directly into his mouth since he has a habit of making more of a mess of his food than anything. I wanted to be 100% sure it got into his system, and he is pretty good about letting me handle him. Still puts up a heck of a fight opening his mouth though! lol

Thanks for the help Eggcessive.

 

[Stiggy]

It does sound like a Seizure , he may survive with care and tlc but it is unlikely that he will grow to be as big as he should as seizures can stunt their growth and damage their brain/ organs depending on type. Seizures in chickens aren't all the common and I've only witnessed one in 14 years... In a sizzle pullet of mine she was eating then she just collapsed and fitted then lay still, I thought she had died and just as I approached her she stood up shakily fluffed herself up and has been fine ever since. But good luck and just keep an eye on him

 

[Fowl Mouth]

It does sound like a Seizure , he may survive with care and tlc but it is unlikely that he will grow to be as big as he should as seizures can stunt their growth and damage their brain/ organs depending on type. Seizures in chickens aren't all the common and I've only witnessed one in 14 years... In a sizzle pullet of mine she was eating then she just collapsed and fitted then lay still, I thought she had died and just as I approached her she stood up shakily fluffed herself up and has been fine ever since. But good luck and just keep an eye on him

Funnily enough, the little chick in question in my situation is also a sizzle. I purchased him as a silkie, but everyone that has seen his photos says sizzle. A bit of a disappointment to me in the first place, since I have no interest in sizzles, but the little guy (or gal, I have no idea yet) has grown on me and I'll do what I can, for as long as it takes, to help him along. As long as he's still got a fire in his eye, I'm going to try and keep it lit.

I've been doing so much reading lately, and its just overwhelming the amount of ailments chickens can end up with. So many signs from one lesser illness can be the same showing up in a much more serious one! It's just.. depressing. I had to just stop reading and go spend some time watching goofy cat videos on youtube to try and find a happy place for a bit.

But! I feel better now that I have some Poly Vi Sol on hand. I got two boxes; one for him to use now, and one to keep on hand for any future times it may come in handy. I've also been reading that silkies in general can be more prone to vitamin deficiencies in the first place...? If this is true, it could explain his little episodes.

Bottom line... I just hope it helps him. I don't mind him needing a little extra tlc through his life, I'll just mark him up as another house pet... I've already got one Silkie that wears a diaper and stays in the house, why not a Sizzle too?

Here's hoping it helps him. *crossing fingers*

 

[Eggcessive]

I think it is fine that you want to keep trying with him--he sounds like a cutie with a lot of personality, Is there any chance that he and your house silkie could become buddies when they are closer in size. As far as the PolyVisol, I would use it or the SaveAChick vitamins, but not both. There are better buys on poultry vitamins to put in the water, such as Avian Super Pack online and Rooster Booster vitamins at TSC. Certain vitamins (A,D, and E) are fat soluble, so they can be overdosed if you were giving both kinds along with what's in his food, so just use the PolyVisol until it's empty, then switch to whichever brand you chose. This vitamin dose is 1/4 tsp per 5 gallons (or mix 1/4 tsp and add to 5 oz water--then add 1 oz of that liquid to each gallon of water http://www.jefferspet.com/avian-super-pack/p/AB-P1/