HELP! Baby chick suddenly shrieks/shakes head & lethargic.

[ChimiChanga808]

Not eating or drinking.
But also liquids via dropper don’t seem to be going down. Sounds like it’s stuck in throat

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I oddly pulled one of my hairs out of its throat this evening and it was very traumatic. Looked like it was pulling its tongue out but it wasn’t wrapped around the tongue. Same condition after.

You can hear the water in it’s throat and it opens it’s mouth like it wants to throw it up/the liquids not going anywhere.

But also liquids via dropper don’t seem to be going down. Sounds like it’s stuck in throat

How is your chick?

I would look again for another hair or to see if anything looks out of place.
You mention pulling the hair out was "traumatic". Is the chick breathing o.k. - she didn't aspirate fluids?

Take note of the openings (holes) you see inside the beak when you look again - one if the airway (trachea/center hole), the other is the esophagus. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[ChimiChanga808]

Chimi is doing so much better today I could cry. I dropper fed him pedia lyte every 2.5 hours overnight because he wasn’t eating or drinking. He looked a little less lethargic each time. Then got up at 7am to take him to the vet and he was eating!
he still has a much higher pitch/raspy chirp & is doing some mellower head shakes and mouth opens. But his energy is much better.
Going to monitor him and possibly take him into vet tomorrow. Didn’t want to add to his stress today while recovering.

 

[microchick]

Good news! I'm so glad to hear this. Did baby's crop seem emptier this morning?

 

[ChimiChanga808]

its happening again
Was fine all morning & took them outside mid mornin. He saw a slug & I got worried about gape worm so I threw it away & then suddenly the every 5-10 min the 1-2 shrieks accompanied by a jump/flapping and violent head shake began. He also leaves his mouth open after for a moment.
he’s immediately really lethargic between. I just hold him and he sleeps/shakey.

They r only 3 weeks old/still on starter food. They have limited outdoor monitored time. Chimi is the smaller and generally doesn’t get the bug first anyways. So this shouldn’t be gape worm.

Also, don’t actually know if Chimi is a “he” yet, but have been calling him that.
help!

 

[ChimiChanga808]

@Wyorp Rock @microchick
It’s suddenly happening again. Chick suddenly shrieks/violently shakes/opens mouth and falls back deliriously.

was fine this morning.

hard bulge on LEFT right below neck.
can’t seem to find the crop on either of my chicks, but it’s clear on grown chickens.

 

[ChimiChanga808]

@dawg53 @theoldchick
Any ideas

 

[ChimiChanga808]

@coach723
Also stands up tall stretching neck and almost falls backward. Delirious? Or trying to clear throat?
Isn’t drinking liquids even from a dropper very well.
Still doing a sudden shriek and violent headshake every 10 min

 

[microchick]

Oh No! Your babies do seem to be having their fair share of problems.

I'd go through the same procedure as before. Check the mouth for foreign objects. They are outside. Any chance they are biting off more than they can chew as far as the grass available is concerned.?

I believe you are feeling the crop on the right side of the baby's chest. I'm wondering once again if they aren't gorging themselves if the crop is feeling that full, the stretching, yawning mouth gaping isn't their attempt to move things around into a more comfortable position in their crops.

 

[ChimiChanga808]

Notice lump on LEFT.
Is this the crop?