Just hatched baby Serama chick having motor difficulties- can it be helped?

[Bocktobery 10]

Sadly, I made lots of calls and found nothing to help feed her. The only avian vet in this area is closed on Fridays- Of course! I called several places- including Pet Smart, a farm feed store, several vets... and nothing. And anything I found is on the internet that could work is an international order which would take months to get here. *Sigh* Is it just not cost effective for companies to carry such a thing? Surely it would sell- maybe not a hit item, but you'd think with how many people want to help their chickens/chicks it would become a demand. Just don't understand why its so difficult to find a crop needle/tube feeding system.

Anyway... Luckily, she seems to be a bit improved this afternoon. I think I wasn't feeding her enough and stepped things up to feeding once an hour- not too much, but just something. But what I've noticed is that she is nibbling now- gobbling as if she is really hungry and willing to eat. Her head is still out of control, (she lunges into the air to the side, upwards.. everywhere but in the food) but if I try and hold her head still for her, I think I manage to get some food into her this way. I take the medicated chick feed and put water in it (and a few drops of milk kefir- its like yogurt) and mix it so that it is a mush, then hold her head up to the tiny dish and she sort of nibbles when I've got the tip of her nose in it. The only bad thing about this set up is that I can't tell how much she is eating. I have seen her twice now do that crop scrunching thing- where the chicken maneuver's their crop with their chest muscles... so I take that as a sign she's eaten her fill and making room for more food. ?? So confusing. I'm going to continue doing this for her and hopefully things will get better.

Anyway, I'm just documenting here. I surely will let you know how it goes- good or bad- hopefully the outcome will be good.

Thanks again for your replies, concern and help.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Chick not doing so well. Starting to look emaciated and mother hen has abandoned her, so I have separated her and put her under a heat lamp. Her crop or maybe an air sack is filled with air- seems like a balloon in her chest. She is pooping, and there has been more brown material instead of watery greenish material- so this means she is eating when I feed her, albeit, not very much. Its a shame I can't locate some sort of tube to feed her with- she does seem to have a bit more control of her muscles. I'd be willing to bet if I could tube feed her she could pull through this, but I've had no luck in locating anything after many calls to various places.

She's grown a lot of wing feathers already.... I am amazed.

I've done several searches on the air in the chest thing- can't find any answers as to what is going on with that other than it might be an air sac that is swollen with air. So, what does this mean? And does it point to anything that might bring about some answers to cure her? I'm pretty sure this is a bad sign though.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry she is declining. I had hoped you were able to find tube feeding supplies. It looks like Kathy (@casportpony ) shows using catheter attached to a syringe, maybe try medical supply store? Just a thought.

As far as the air sac, Kathy also has an article on that as well, it's where an air sac ruptures and air escapes causing a bubble. It's also called Subcutaneous Emphysema.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/843992/q-and-a-article-from-a-peafowl-website



https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

 

[BoomChickaPop]

Chick not doing so well. Starting to look emaciated and mother hen has abandoned her, so I have separated her and put her under a heat lamp. Her crop or maybe an air sack is filled with air- seems like a balloon in her chest. She is pooping, and there has been more brown material instead of watery greenish material- so this means she is eating when I feed her, albeit, not very much. Its a shame I can't locate some sort of tube to feed her with- she does seem to have a bit more control of her muscles. I'd be willing to bet if I could tube feed her she could pull through this, but I've had no luck in locating anything after many calls to various places.

She's grown a lot of wing feathers already.... I am amazed.

I've done several searches on the air in the chest thing- can't find any answers as to what is going on with that other than it might be an air sac that is swollen with air. So, what does this mean? And does it point to anything that might bring about some answers to cure her? I'm pretty sure this is a bad sign though.

Can you post a picture of the chick plz. Looking at the baby would let us know more, on her condition

-BCP

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Can you post a picture of the chick plz. Looking at the baby would let us know more, on her condition

-BCP

I would love to.. and I would love to post a video even more than a picture, but I'm not sure how to do that. She looks very normal- and at this point, you can't see the swelling in her chest as it is hidden in the fluff. Its mostly her movements that is off. Like right now, she is moving her head all sort of directions and peeping softly. But I will post a picture- give me a few moments to get it together.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

I'm sorry she is declining. I had hoped you were able to find tube feeding supplies. It looks like Kathy (@casportpony ) shows using catheter attached to a syringe, maybe try medical supply store? Just a thought.

As far as the air sac, Kathy also has an article on that as well, it's where an air sac ruptures and air escapes causing a bubble. It's also called Subcutaneous Emphysema.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/843992/q-and-a-article-from-a-peafowl-website



https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

Thanks Wyorp again...

Agreed yeah, I did check out the medical supplies- well, a pharmacy nearby. Called and asked about maybe the tiniest catheter they had available and they said they didn't have anything that small except maybe a syringe... but I need the tube to go with the syringe. So, not really having any luck.

To be honest, I would be afraid to tube feed a chick this small.. I don't even know how much you can put in there.

She is still with us, but I am having a hard time of getting her to eat. Sometimes she is cooperative and other times you'd think i was toturing her or something when I put the tip of the beak in the watery mush... maybe its too cold?

 

[BoomChickaPop]

I would love to.. and I would love to post a video even more than a picture, but I'm not sure how to do that. She looks very normal- and at this point, you can't see the swelling in her chest as it is hidden in the fluff. Its mostly her movements that is off. Like right now, she is moving her head all sort of directions and peeping softly. But I will post a picture- give me a few moments to get it together.

Ok I will wait on that picture.

-BCP

 

[Bocktobery 10]

most of the time she is scrunched like this last photo. She usually has her head down.

 

[BoomChickaPop]

most of the time she is scrunched like this last photo. She usually has her head down.

Wow that chick is acting like an adult! Adults serama's stand like that.
I hope the chick gets better soon. It would be horrible for the chick to die, after you have worked so hard to try and help it.
So cute!

-BCP

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Thanks Boomchickapop,

I feather sexed the chicks when they were newly hatched and his one does appear to be female.

Still hanging in there.. her poops have become more solid and looking normal.

I'm concerned that she seems to be itchy. I searched for mites/lice but saw nothing. One would see them if they searched for them right? Perhaps this is a reaction to the stuff I am giving her? I have diatomaceous earth and also some sevin dust... would either of those be ok to use on her just in case?

I found out that the medicated chick feed contains an antibiotic that inhibits thiamine- SO- I've eliminated that from the feed mix. Later this evening I gave her Vitamin E oil, egg yolk, and Kay Tee baby chick formula all mixed- oh and a bit of kefir, water, and drop of nutridrench . This is the first time she really started to gobble things up without having supreme difficulty. Hopefully she is not too starving to pull through this- I've been concerned- the pics make her look good- but her body looks small- I can feel her bones in her chest- not much flesh there.

She twitches a lot... like almost non stop. I read somewhere about giving prednisone (not that I have any) or aspirin to relieve what I guess is the pain from that... is this a bad idea? I'm wondering how she's going to get through the night and actually get some rest.

Hopefully I will get some rest too... and that she will pull through. I feel hopeful now that I've eliminated the medicated chick feed that maybe I will see better improvement. Just hope its not too late.