Is this normal for a baby chick????

[Amanda052389]

I just bought 20 baby chicks on Saturday. Yesterday we found one baby dead so we brought her back and got two more. I now have 21 baby chicks and a few of them appear to be balding on their bellies and always appear wet. Some are worse than others. I noticed the deceased baby had that look to her also. I'll attach a picture of one of the babies (this one isn't as bald as a couple others).. My boyfriend said they'll be fine but I get worried when they're so young.

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
Run down to your local Tractor Supply
SCHODACK - 1225 1649 COLUMBIA TURNPIKE SCHODACK,NY 12033 (518) 477-6293
and pick up a 4 oz. bottle of Poultry Nutri-Drench. It should be 6.99 If our birds are stressed, one of the first problems they encounter is their G.I tracts have problems uptaking the helps you want to give them. Poultry Nutri-Drench doesn't need to be digested. It mainlines directly into the bloodstream. 50% uptake in 10 minutes; 99% uptake in 30 minutes. I have been using this company's Nutri-Drench and Nutri-Drop products on my collies and poultry for over a decade. Just wonderful. Very concentrated. Just one drop by mouth per chick every 8-10 hours as needed. If your chicks are sick, it won't cure sickness. What it will do, is give them energy to get better. I don't know what is causing the symptoms on your chicks. Maybe they are not sick. But the lethargy is telling you they are stressed. That's where the PND comes in. I spoke with the science techs at Bovidr Labs which makes the Drench and Drop products. They told me that Poultry Nutri-Drench and Pet Nutri-Drops can both be used with the same dosage and usage instructions they gave me in Post Number One at the URL below:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/746509/how-to-deal-with-travel-stress-in-baby-chicks
So if they are out of stock in one, you can buy and use the other. I think the Pet Nutri-Drops runs about 9.99 .
Regardless of what is causing this wet belly and lethargy, we want to keep the chick's energy up and give it what it needs to help its G.I. tract have the energy to try and work correctly.
Best Regards,
Karen and the Light Sussex
in western PA, USA

 

[Chick CJ]

I just hatched out 28 chicks and some of my last chicks to hatch looked like this. They did just fine and looked more normal after a week in the brooder, although a couple of them still seem to have less feathers. They are currently 3 1/2 weeks old. I think when you get chicks from a hatchery it is always a good idea to use some sort of hydration help like the last poster mentioned. It usually does the trick pretty quickly and I really like the idea of giving it directly to the chicks.
CJ

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Look up "mushy chick syndrome." Also don't feed baby chicks for the first 72 hours. Your chicks may not have fully absorbed the yoke sack and gotten an infection of the navel. Yes, Chickens have belly buttons.

 

[ValleyHatchery]

If your chicks are suffering from "mushy Chick Syndrome" you need to act fast.

Giving extra nutrition is a good idea, after the chicks are 72 hours old or older. They must fully digest the eggsak/yolk before they are introduced to other foods. This infection can take up to two weeks to run through your flock. There's no known effective cure, and prevention is the best method. There's a great article that shows photos and more details on the causes/cure.

Some comments on Treatment

Quote:
Best Wishes on your wee ones!

Link to article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mushy-chick-disease-yolk-sack-infection-omphalitis