Help I'm new and I have impacted babies~

[ChicknewbieChic]

Hi all. I am SUPER new to chicken keeping and I was just out in my brooder cleaning the thing and I noticed that 4 out of my 5 3week old chicks look inpacted!!!

HELLLPPPPPP!

What do I do? I dont want to lose these guys as I've heard this is a serious issue!!!

They are on pine shavings and look like they may be eating the stuff...Do I change bedding? Is the food not accseeable enough? Not enough water as it was a bit dirty with shavings.

 

[klmclain1]

What do you mean they "look" impacted? Do they have a large lump on the right side of their chests? If so, that's normal - it's their crop and it's full of what they've been eating all day. Check it in the morning...it all should digest during the night. If they still have full crops in the morning, THEN you might have a problem!

 

[centrarchid]

Are you feeding them scratch or some other intact grains?

 

[ChicknewbieChic]

I guess I've never noticed the lumps before. I picked them up and the lump is squishy and right where you described it. Do they know "morning" from night at this point as they are constantly under a heat light?

Im not feeding anything but this.
http://poultry.purinamills.com/OURPRODUCTS/Products/StartGrow/default.aspx

NO grit or anything as the guy at the feed store said I didnt need it with this feed????

 

[klmclain1]

You're feeding them chick starter and that's all they need. Is the heat lamp a red one? If yes, they'll establish a sleep cycle so no worries. If not, you need to switch to one. AND BE CAREFUL - apparently there are shatter resistant red ones that put off a poisonous gas of some kind that will kill them. (see posts today about finding 10 chickens dead this morning). But you do need to use the red. It sounds like they're fine! My girls look LOPSIDED every day!

 

[CorinneP]

Are they still moving around drinking and eating fine ... pooping ?

 

[TwoCrows]

The crop needs to be "judged" in the morning to determine whether or not it is actually "impacted" or going "sour". Crops can feel funky all day long on many babies. So tonight, take away the food for the entire night. They will make it thru the night with no food. First thing in the morning, feel everybodies crop. A normal crop will be completely empty. If there is a hard lump in the crop, then it is indeed impacted. If it is soft and squishy, then it is on it's way to being sour.

Oil is ONLY given to an impacted crop. It helps dissolve hard substances. It is NOT good for a soured crop, as it is hard to break down in itself and will slow the stomach down, thus slowing the emptying of the crop, which is what generally happens with a soured crop.

Do not feed them anything but chick starter. If you suspect they are eating their bedding, (wood shavings...and mine must have eaten an entire bag full, LOL) switch them over to grass hay or a wire floor.

If the crop is squishy and soft, then add 3 tablespoons of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water. This will keep yeast/fungus from growing in the crop. You can also add probiotics, human grade will work if you don't have pet probios, and this will also help with the good bacteria's in the crop.

Sometimes babies stuff themselves with food til the crop is ready to burst. If this is the case, you can take away the food for an hour, replace it for 15 mins and then remove it again. You can also remove the food over night.

So check first thing tomorrow morning and do not leave food out tonight and see then how the crops feel. Check the food to poop ratio. It should be coming out as fast as it is going in.

Keep us posted!

 

[centrarchid]

Take feed out for about 4 hours, even with light on. Only if crops fail to deflate should you consider treatment options.

 

[ChicknewbieChic]

Thanks everyone. I'll try taking the food away and see what happens tomorrow. I'll keep you all posted