HELP - Baby chick tries to poop but nothing comes out!

[frontman]

So I have a baby chick that is nearly a month old. Just a day ago it looked very tired, and it occasionally falls asleep while standing. Its belly is massive, and it just seems like it's having digestion problems, or constipation.

I also checked for pasty but her vent is clean, yet it's constantly raising its leg; and you can see it's trying very hard to poop, but nothing is coming out. What's wrong? What should I do?

 

[urbanchickymama]

They always fall asleep while they're standing. Also the leg raising thing is actually them stretching their legs, it's really cute. Usually when mine are about to poop the squat down a tiny bit, hold their wings out and then kind of stretch their necks up.
You could try using a warm, damp washcloth and massaging their vents a little to see if it will get things moving.
HTH

 

[RonC]

Sounds like it is sretching to me also. Sometimes they also stretch the wing on the same side, looks kinda strange. They do kinda drop their butt or squat when they poop. Relax, there's probably nothing wrong. Wait till you see them sunning themselves, you'll think the're really something wrong. When mine were only a week or so old they would be running and fall down asleep.

 

[frontman]

It hasn't been moving much, if at all, lately. I did some research and it seems its crop is full and it can't digest the food inside. It's constantly falling asleep, and it was laying on its side today, looking really tired. Things aren't looking good.

 

[frontman]

It's so sad. The other chick is constantly getting under its wing to keep it standing. The chick with the full crop is extremely cold compared to the other one and is on the verge of death.

 

[RonC]

It may have an impacted crop. That means it's packed in the crop and can't go through. Were you giving it other things to eat and offering grit?

 

[frontman]

Yeah, I tried making it drinking water and offered grit, but it just refuses to open its beak and eat anything.

 

[kellysmall87]

Apparently using Olive Oil - warmed up - helps. Not sure if you feed it them or massage the vent or something - research the usage of olive oil...

 

[kellysmall87]

On second thoughts, I think you syringe a small amount into their beak rather than massage the vent with it lol

It acts as a laxative.

 

[frontman]

Tried olive oil and massaging already. Nothing seems to be getting rid of the impacted crop, as RonC said. It doesn't seem to be sour crop, and nothing really seems to be helping. It's interesting seeing the friendship between the two chicks. It's sad, but I'm pretty sure it won't make it. It can barely stand.