Mushy chick?

[kathleenerthorp]

Hello! We have one lonely chick and poor thing hasn’t stopped peeping. I don’t think it’s slept! It hatched Tuesday afternoon and hasn’t pooped, eaten, or had anything to drink. The abdomen looks enlarged to me but I’m not sure...
Is this mushy chick? Can I do anything to help it?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Quite possibly Squishy Chick Syndrome (or omphalitis which is infection in the abdomen through the yolk/umbilical cord).

Usually it creates bacterial overgrowth in the abdomen curable only by antibiotics (if at all). If you can get some injectable Tylosin or such, now would be the time to use it. (If my memory serves, you can actually dropper the injectable....I'm not sure dosage). You could also get Fish-Mox, which is amoxicillin that is intended for tropical fish. Other option would be to try oregano oil herbal...though I don't have much hope with herbals when infections have actually taken hold.

It's hard to get stuff over the counter now for chickens, so unless you want to take a chick to the vet, you'll have to get creative.

Good luck with the little one.
LofMc

 

[RosemaryDuck]

If you use Tylan do not use it as an injectable. It works well for large mammals but in birds it causes injection site necrosis and can actually kill off the surrounding tissue, skin & muscle.

 

[MrsHChicks]

Hello! We have one lonely chick and poor thing hasn’t stopped peeping. I don’t think it’s slept! It hatched Tuesday afternoon and hasn’t pooped, eaten, or had anything to drink. The abdomen looks enlarged to me but I’m not sure...
Is this mushy chick? Can I do anything to help it?

Did you find out what is was and if the chick survived? I have 1 like this out of my 8 that hatched. Wondering what to do