lethargic, (probably constipated) chick with a squishy lower abdomen.

[TalullaCat]

i originally posted about this problem in the "raising chicks" forum yesterday but i thought it might be more appropriate for here. my two week old olive egger chick is acting a bit lethargic and walking with a wobbly gait and is breathing quicker than my other chick.she began to noticeably exhibit these symptoms yesterday. she also has a swollen/ squishy lower abdomen (near vent) which i'm guessing is being caused by constipation and is the reason for her apparent discomfort. since i'm assumed that she was constipated i gave her some olive oil and watered down molasses which seemed to help since she began pooping again afterwards.she is eating and drinking water. she hasn't ever eaten anything except chick starter and i add a poultry vitamin mix to the water that is supposed to help young chicks. does anyone else have experience with this problem? i couldn't find any info about it on BYC or anywhere else.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @TalullaCat
Can you post some photos of your chick, the swollen abdomen and the vent (if she is under a heat lamp - try to get natural lighting photos).

How warm is your brooder?
Is her vent clear of poop?
Is the vent swollen?

Molasses acts as a laxative, so only give it once, if you got things moving.
Get her hydrated, if you have poultry vitamins, add those to her water. Offer her wet chick starter (mix it with a little water to make it the consistency of oatmeal).

Even though she is only eating chick starter, imho, it's best to make chick grit (crushed granite) available free choice. Chicks will take a few pieces, this helps them to process foods.

Let us know how she is doing.

 

[TalullaCat]

her vent is clear does not appear swollen to me. i don't have a thermometer in the brooder so i cant's tell you the exact temperature its at. the chicks seem happy with the temperature, the other chick is running around like normal and neither of them seem to favor one area of the brooder to stay in so i don't think temperature is part of the problem. i did gave them both a bit of grit a few days ago. ill give them some wet chick food and see if that helps anything. thanks so much for your help.

 

[TalullaCat]

I just had a thought, since she has black feathers, maybe she is getting hotter than my brown feathered chick? I just saw her pant with her beak open.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She's cute

Check your temperature. Since they are inside, they may not need as much heat as you think. Ideally the brooder should have only one spot that is warm, let the rest cool. Keep the food and water on the cool side of the brooder.

If she is panting, reduce the amount of heat, encourage her to drink.

What does her poop look like?

 

[TalullaCat]

it is in the 70-80's where i live right now so they may be too warm, i moved the lamp over to one side so they can choose where they want to be. her poop looks very normal so i'm not worried about that.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How is she doing now?
Still wobbly?

 

[TalullaCat]

Still pretty wobbly, but she's moving around more.​

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Have you offered vitamins in the water?
What does the poop look like?

Do your best to keep her drinking, hopefully she will come around.

 

[TalullaCat]

yes, they have vitamins in the water. her still looks normal. i think she's getting better it just might take her a bit to recover.