I need your help

[Ashley129]

I recently just got a baby chick and it was doing fine for these past days it was energetic it would cry to eat and drink then it would walk around in our yard and be fine then once my dog tried to eat it but it was just laying in her mouth and nothing really happened it just had my dog salava on her bottom half of it body,then today when I woke up I realized that it was not chirping and it always sleeping doesn’t want to wake up it sleeps in a awkward position like it head is up and then it can’t walk properly it like moving side to side and falls to one side it also flops it head and doesn’t wanna do anything I need ur help what do I do? Is it slowing dying or?

 

[artbykarenehaley]

Hello and welcome!

When you mention that it cries for food and water, are you providing these things 24/7 or only when the chick acts hungry? It's best to always have these things available, under warm light.

Would the chick chirp very loudly? A lone chick can exert itself too much, just from trying to call to find other chicks or it's momma (that would be you). If this chick is alone it might be calling so much it is getting exhausted, distracting itself from eating and drinking. It needs a companion, a mirror may help it feel less alone and also playing youtube videos that have content little chick noises does wonders for perking up a chick.ive had chicks that seem like they're so tired they cant get up to eat, start to become more active. Hold the chick close, talk softly to it with a high tone to your voice, try to imitate the sounds of content chicks.

Unfortunately your chick might have suffered some injury that might not be visible. It is possible as well that it may have gone in to shock from the experience. To have an encounter like that would be traumatic. Keep it very warm. Breathe on it if you don't have a way of heating it via a lamp. Warm up a towel in the dryer and wrap it around the chick. Give it a q tip with egg yolk. These symptoms are serious indicators that this chick needs extra care as soon as possible.

Out of curiosity, does your chick seem to have any strange air bubbles under it's skin? Birds have air sacs that help them breathe, and if one ruptures it can cause an air bubble under the skin. Something like being caught or picked up by a dog could cause a ruptured air sac.

Recently I had a newly hatched button quail exhibiting the same symptoms, and a ruptured air sac was the case. It had been trapped in it's egg and it had strained itself until an air sac ruptured. I was able to treat it by venting the air bubble with a sterilized pin, but it is a delicate operation. Especially with a squirming, tiny little bird. I hope this is not the case but it is definitely treatable if it is. The chick has gone on to thrive since me having done the treatment. Before, it was wobbly, listless, and drowsy. It was not getting enough oxygen and was basically slowly suffocating.

 

[artbykarenehaley]

I also want to mention that most chicks this young live under a heat lamp all the time, they can get hypothermia (too low of a body temperature) from being out in a breeze. They need that sweet sweet warmth just like a mother hen. 95° with no drafts for the first week, decreasing temperature by 5 to 10 degrees per week afterwards.

 

[InterestingChickens]

Welcome to BYC!
Try and get it to drink. Gently dip it's beak into some lukewarm warm water, take it out, and see if it swallows. As well as keeping it warm as artbykarenehaley said. Chicks this age should only be outside if it's sunny for a short time. Otherwise they should be in their brooder with food and water, with some sort of heating device. Good luck.

 

[Ashley129]

Hello and welcome!

When you mention that it cries for food and water, are you providing these things 24/7 or only when the chick acts hungry? It's best to always have these things available, under warm light.

Would the chick chirp very loudly? A lone chick can exert itself too much, just from trying to call to find other chicks or it's momma (that would be you). If this chick is alone it might be calling so much it is getting exhausted, distracting itself from eating and drinking. It needs a companion, a mirror may help it feel less alone and also playing youtube videos that have content little chick noises does wonders for perking up a chick.ive had chicks that seem like they're so tired they cant get up to eat, start to become more active. Hold the chick close, talk softly to it with a high tone to your voice, try to imitate the sounds of content chicks.

Unfortunately your chick might have suffered some injury that might not be visible. It is possible as well that it may have gone in to shock from the experience. To have an encounter like that would be traumatic. Keep it very warm. Breathe on it if you don't have a way of heating it via a lamp. Warm up a towel in the dryer and wrap it around the chick. Give it a q tip with egg yolk. These symptoms are serious indicators that this chick needs extra care as soon as possible.

Out of curiosity, does your chick seem to have any strange air bubbles under it's skin? Birds have air sacs that help them breathe, and if one ruptures it can cause an air bubble under the skin. Something like being caught or picked up by a dog could cause a ruptured air sac.

Recently I had a newly hatched button quail exhibiting the same symptoms, and a ruptured air sac was the case. It had been trapped in it's egg and it had strained itself until an air sac ruptured. I was able to treat it by venting the air bubble with a sterilized pin, but it is a delicate operation. Especially with a squirming, tiny little bird. I hope this is not the case but it is definitely treatable if it is. The chick has gone on to thrive since me having done the treatment. Before, it was wobbly, listless, and drowsy. It was not getting enough oxygen and was basically slowly suffocating.

my chicken eat everyday when it chirps to me it let me know it awake but my chicken is never left alone because it still a baby it always has a warm hot towel in it warm bed and it also has a water bottom that is warm to keep where it sleeping a right temperature,and yes I always keep it good and water near it but it doesn’t eat like how it used to

 

[artbykarenehaley]

my chicken eat everyday when it chirps to me it let me know it awake but my chicken is never left alone because it still a baby it always has a warm hot towel in it warm bed and it also has a water bottom that is warm to keep where it sleeping a right temperature,and yes I always keep it good and water near it but it doesn’t eat like how it used to

Okay, it sounds like your chick is getting what it needs provided to it in terms of food and water, and it is calling to you when it is lonely. It can't feel comforted enough to eat unless it has you, and chicks typically thrive better when kept in groups. They are social creatures. See if you can get it a couple companions if possible. Make sure it's drinking every 45 minutes or so, give it some warm Gatorade with a q tip and some water. Soften it's chick food. If it is dehydrated it will behave this way. If it's feeling like it's alone it will need you there for all it's meals or it will not eat and drink enough.

This is very important, do you have a thermometer telling you what the temperature is where it is living and sleeping? Is it a constant, always the same, 95°? They can't maintain body heat on their own, which is why mother hens sit over them while they are little. It's also why they are kept in groups, not just for comfort but also for sharing body heat. I highly recommend you get your chick an electrified heat source such as a brooder plate or an overhead heat lamp. It will always keep your lil cutie warm, healthy and energized. A hot water bottle looses warmth, a warm towel looses warmth, and your chick will loose warmth. an electrified heat source will maintain warmth.

I do not intend this advice to be hurtful, my concern is that your chick is cold. I once when I was very young snuck a chick to school with me, thinking my backpack was warm enough with all the blankets and a hot water bottle that I had stuffed in there. The chick died. It had gotten way too cold. I want to spare you that heartbreak as I can tell you really care for your chick!

What seems warm to us, around 72 for indoor ambient temperature, is simply not enough for a small baby bird, and a hot water bottle and a towel don't generate their own heat, only absorb it from another source and then release it into the air. I would expect that your chick will feel more alert when its habitat air temperature is a constant, consistent, warm 95°. Especially if your dog has tried to get it and frightened it, it really needs warmth.

 

[Ashley129]

Okay, it sounds like your chick is getting what it needs provided to it in terms of food and water, and it is calling to you when it is lonely. It can't feel comforted enough to eat unless it has you, and chicks typically thrive better when kept in groups. They are social creatures. See if you can get it a couple companions if possible. Make sure it's drinking every 45 minutes or so, give it some warm Gatorade with a q tip and some water. Soften it's chick food. If it is dehydrated it will behave this way. If it's feeling like it's alone it will need you there for all it's meals or it will not eat and drink enough.

This is very important, do you have a thermometer telling you what the temperature is where it is living and sleeping? Is it a constant, always the same, 95°? They can't maintain body heat on their own, which is why mother hens sit over them while they are little. It's also why they are kept in groups, not just for comfort but also for sharing body heat. I highly recommend you get your chick an electrified heat source such as a brooder plate or an overhead heat lamp. It will always keep your lil cutie warm, healthy and energized. A hot water bottle looses warmth, a warm towel looses warmth, and your chick will loose warmth. an electrified heat source will maintain warmth.

I do not intend this advice to be hurtful, my concern is that your chick is cold. I once when I was very young snuck a chick to school with me, thinking my backpack was warm enough with all the blankets and a hot water bottle that I had stuffed in there. The chick died. It had gotten way too cold. I want to spare you that heartbreak as I can tell you really care for your chick!

What seems warm to us, around 72 for indoor ambient temperature, is simply not enough for a small baby bird, and a hot water bottle and a towel don't generate their own heat, only absorb it from another source and then release it into the air. I would expect that your chick will feel more alert when its habitat air temperature is a constant, consistent, warm 95°. Especially if your dog has tried to get it and frightened it, it really needs warmth.

no we do not have a thermometer because we think that not really needable we had a chicken that I got in California and raised him how we are currently raising this chicken just that we moved to Washington and it very cold out here so I’m trying my best to keep it warm I always warm up his bed and blankets before I go to sleep and when he is up and eating but I woke up today and it looks dead it was cold but in his little bed it was warm enough for it,I got up and went to warm up his blanket and bed and he is breathing but it eyes remain closed I touched it body but it just chirps a little bit,and it eyes still remain close.while I was taking the picture it moved a bit of it head but it just sleeps like in a weird position idk what to do my parents aren’t home so it difficult for me to just try and revive it

 

[artbykarenehaley]

no we do not have a thermometer because we think that not really needable we had a chicken that I got in California and raised him how we are currently raising this chicken just that we moved to Washington and it very cold out here so I’m trying my best to keep it warm I always warm up his bed and blankets before I go to sleep and when he is up and eating but I woke up today and it looks dead it was cold but in his little bed it was warm enough for it,I got up and went to warm up his blanket and bed and he is breathing but it eyes remain closed I touched it body but it just chirps a little bit,and it eyes still remain close.while I was taking the picture it moved a bit of it head but it just sleeps like in a weird position idk what to do my parents aren’t home so it difficult for me to just try and revive it

Pick the chick up, cup it in your hands and breath on it. Talk softly to it. Whistle to it if you can, see if it tries to find the sound. When it perks up a little, get warm water in the chick as soon as you can. If it perks up more, hold it close to you under your shirt, wrap yourself in a warm blanket. You might feel uncomfortable but the chick really needs warmth.

 

[artbykarenehaley]

Pick the chick up, cup it in your hands and breath on it. Talk softly to it. Whistle to it if you can, see if it tries to find the sound. When it perks up a little, get warm water in the chick as soon as you can. If it perks up more, hold it close to you under your shirt, wrap yourself in a warm blanket. You might feel uncomfortable but the chick really needs warmth.

When your parents get home, tell them your chick needs a heat lamp. Washington is a lot like oregon, where I live. I've raised hundreds of chicks in this climate. The air here is so humid it cools them down quickly. In this environment, a consistent heat source is required. Not optional.

 

[Skyle]

I don't want to be mean, but I'm afraid she may die soon. That chick needs a companion (another chick) and a proper heat source.
Maybe when you raised the other one the ambient temperature was hot enough for it without need of very hot sources. Now you said It's really cold when you're raising this one, probably that heat source isn't enough. I saw you took her outside, does she shows any respiratory issues? Chicks loose heat really fast and if it was cold outside she may got his lungs chilled and now she may caught something. I'm not so prone thinking the dog injured her since she didn't show symptoms until the morning after, but maybe being wet from the saliva chilled her more and faster.