HELP! Baby chick acting funny!!

[lorijohnson823]

I have some baby chicks that I got from a hatchery. They are one week old today. One night, I noticed one of the chicks just opening and closing its mouth all the time. I wasn't sure what she was doing. But she continued to eat and drink normally. The next day, when I got home from work she was deceased.

A few days later, one of my other chicks starting doing this same thing. It's like they aren't able to breathe properly. I googled this, and found a thread that said to rub their neck, that there is food caught in the throat. If you did this, then they would be fine. Plus give electrolytes in the water and maybe offer her some yogurt.
I have done all of these things. My chick seems to be doing better, but she continues to make this open and close mouth motion with her beak. Sometimes, after rubbing her neck she stops completely, but when I check on her later she has re-started doing it.

At this point. I do not know what to do. Please any advice would be great! I'm trying to save her since I already lost one! I have 5 baby chicks left. I have never had this problem raising other chicks. I normally use medicated feed. But this time, I just bought Dumor feed. Maybe the grains are bigger and cannot go down easily? I do have 4 chicks that haven't had a problem!!

Please Help.

 

[CluckyCharms]

I'm not experienced, and I'm sure you'll have other replies from people more experienced than I. However, my chicks (4 days old now) did that for the first 2 days...it turns out their problem was that they were way too hot. They displayed a lot of other 'funky' actions as well, like lurching and sort of 'flopping themselves down' with wings and legs spread every which way. How hot is the lamp end of the brooder you have them in? (just an idea)

 

[AlicesSilkies]

I'm not experienced, and I'm sure you'll have other replies from people more experienced than I. However, my chicks (4 days old now) did that for the first 2 days...it turns out their problem was that they were way too hot. They displayed a lot of other 'funky' actions as well, like lurching and sort of 'flopping themselves down' with wings and legs spread every which way. How hot is the lamp end of the brooder you have them in? (just an idea)

Yep, them doing that is sometimes the case, in your brooder make sure the light is just at one end so they can get away from the light when they want, also what i found helped was to put a small box (i used an ice-cream box) near the light and they will learn to hop onto it to get nearer the light when they are cold, it also encourages them to perch when older.

Hope everything gets better and im sorry for your loss.
A

 

[iluvsedward]

It could be too hot or the food could be to large, I suggest crushing their feed smaller with a hammer if you dont have a mortar and pestle. Its hard work but chicks grow fast so you wouldnt have to do it for long.

 

[mmgillan]

I have 4 day old chicks and noticed today that one is doing the same thing and "panting" alot. I took it out of the brooder and put it in a seperate box away from the light and other chicks. Rubbed its neck as well. Not sure what is going on but in case it was some sort of respitory problem I didn't want to expose my other chicks.