Help!!Baby chick sneezing and breathing problems!

[bradronnie11]

Please can someone help me find what is wrong.
This chick is 2 days old.
She is a girl (sex link)
First thing I noticed was open and closing off her beak but standing and fine, chirping etc when picked her up. Then she has become more sleepy. When holding her close this breathing is accompanied by like a clicking noise inside her.
She is just wanting to lie down and sleep, I haven't noticed her go to get any water so have given her some manually just to make sure with a pipette. Which she drinks well. I thought maybe she could have been lethargic from dehydration but I don't think it is as she's still "gasping " looking and clicking. Sometimes she's asleep with her mouth closed and looks like the rest of them when I disturb them she jumps up and chirps but she is straight back down again. She is definitely weaker than the others.
I have now just noticed she seems to sneeze a little ?
Is she going to die?
I'm in the UK so don't have the luxury of things for ill chickens, just a case of leave it be, or have a very expensive vet bill, which I don't want either. I want to help her if I can before I have to take her to the vet if she can be helped, but don't want a large bill for a chick that's going to die anyway.
( sorry for rambling on )

 

[bradronnie11]

The temp in my bator is 37.2 directly under the bulb is that ok? They have clean water constantly ( they keep standing on it and pooing in it ) I have chick starter in there too and they are stood on kitchen paper towel

 

[bradronnie11]

Help anyone? I won't be able to sleep until I know I've helped or if I'm doing something wrong

 

[azygous]

Do you have access to ordinary antibiotics? Like amoxicillin? Or penicillin?

I would give her half the dose since she is so small, once a day for ten days.

It can't hurt, and it might help if she has a bacterial infection, which it sounds like it's possible she does.

 

[bradronnie11]

I have two tablets left of amoxicillin I'm currently taking myself. How would I know how much to give? Do I open the capsules and give her mixed in with water?

 

[bradronnie11]

I will have to get some more off my doctor and say it's still for me

 

[bradronnie11]

This might sound really stupid but could I have given her something? I have a chest infection and sinusitis ?

 

[bradronnie11]

Can my other baby's get this?

 

[GitaBooks]

It might be wise to separate her from the others, but to keep her in their sight/hearing range so she doesn't get too stressed. Respiratory infections can quickly get bad, I've seen that first hand in my poor Mavis, and medication doesn't work if you wait too long. Keep her warm, make sure she is hydrated, and try not to stress her. Let her get rest.
You could try holding her against you for a while, to keep her warm and let her sleep. As I've said, chicks go down hill quickly, so you want to help her fast, not wait. I've found that chicks that show signs of being sick, like standing while sleeping, not eating as much, ect do well after a good nap snuggled up against me, where they aren't constantly woken up by siblings jumping on top of them.

I hope that she gets better! Best of luck to you.

 

[azygous]

I would break the capsule open and divide it in half, and then give her half of the contents once a day for ten days. I usually use a tiny dab of peanut butter and mix the powder in thoroughly. But you could use honey or yogurt. Anything she's likely to eat. Just use the tiniest amount so she won't quit consuming it before all the medicine is in her.

As you know, antibiotics, once begun, must be given for the entire span of ten days to ensure the bacteria is completely killed off. Then you will need to give her probiotics or yogurt to help restore the good bacterias in her system.

There is no assurance that she has a bacterial infection, but if it's what's making her sick, it's her only hope of getting better.