Help! One of the new chicks has it's intestines hanging out!!!

[Aleks]

Well I've read this post thoroughly and just wanted to share. I had a 4 week old chick that had its intestines hanging out of its vent. I have 11 chicks in the spare room and check them frequently throughout the day and night. I was going to "put it down" but my Mom insisted I push the intestines back in and give it a chance. She reminded me that this had happened to a hen of ours before, where we pushed the intestines back in and it continued with a good life. Well this chick has popped its intestines out several times and when I handled it the last time, it would lose water through its mouth. I have to say it was standing, walking, drinking and running around with the rest of the chicks which convinced me to give it a chance. This final time, by the end of the day its eyes were low, it was bleeding pretty badly from intestines hanging out the vent. I felt compelled to put it out of its misery. I'm only sharing because this was one of the few posts I could find about this problem. It is a tough choice to make whether to cull to prevent further suffering or try to nurse it to health somehow. I'm not sure what I would do given the same circumstances again. I had to end its life quickly and I always had its better interests in mind. This upset me more than I had thought it would. So anyone with these circumstances, it is not an easy choice to make and there are no easy answers - except if you're a Vet. Anyway, I'm grateful it is no longer suffering. I just don't understand how a critter so young could have a problem/complication like this....I think it was a pullet and it was the grey one in these fotos.



My heart goes out to those with similar circumstances and especially the animals....

 

[wickedgame89]

looks like a grey version of my 8 week old bantam hens. Beautiful bird she was!

 

[jenifern]

In some cased pushing it back in has worked for me. It really depends how much is out. When the chick chirps the pressure causes it to come back out. I use a sterile q tip and then a small bandaid like the kind they give you when you get a shot in your arm. Keep everything very sterile. Don't use polysporin with any pain killer in it. Lidocaine I think it's called, it's not good for chickens.

 

[carriebain]

I have to add, I just experienced this with a 2 week old chick. I cleaned her twice a day with witch hazel and applied hemorrhoid cream and after 4 days she is healed! There is hope for these little chicks and if it weren't for byc I think she would have died for sure!

 

[Ravenbeak]

I have had this happen to a few chicks. This evening I just did the bandaid trick on one, if I can I will tell you how it pans out. I figure this. My chickens free-range completely. If this little chick can endure the pain, she is in for a life of eating her favorite foods, bugs and seeds and she will spend he hot afternoons in my lilac bush with her friends. She will eagerly await my granting her the daily food scraps, and each night she will return to the nice coop I built for her. She will dust bathe next to my lawn and enjoy all the simple pleasures a bird likes. Life is worth living, so I am giving her s shot. If she takes a turn for he worst, I will put her in a box, under a blanket with my vacuum hose coming out of my car exhaust, where sh will drift off to sleep and be out of any pain forever. As a previous poster said, you must be ready to do such a thing if you are gonna be in the business of raising animals. I know it's difficult you have my empathy in that regard. I am a guy who likes to let flies out of his hous rather than whack them.

 

[tracyjg]

Take it to an avian/exotic vet dr . Soon as possible.

 

[tracyjg]

Some of these issues our a genetic defect in the mother and father. And often times a vet has a better chance in repairs. They have tools many of us don't have on site. Medical equipment .fluids ivs cpr equipment monitors ect. Sometimes the vet can not help. But it has better odds.its a life lesson. God bless you today. God be with you and the loss.

 

[tracyjg]

Thumb for thought for you. Choices there is a sick injured or new born care unit you can get it's pricey. Or you can have another incubators ready for chicks that need extra care and heat. Sometimes the added days can help.they need more heat. They can't get out side the incubator . You can add company if needed . But usually they need time to heal. Where you can add food and water .intell you can get a little help.it gives you a chance .

 

[mix3dbreed]

Wow i hope i never one case like this.Really a bad situation. I had one who coudlnt stand up and i felt bad putting him down.

Everyday we learn something here. Its not always good things. We learn from others also.

 

[grama bailey]

how do you cull a new hatched chick? drowning or what.