New chick cant lift its head

[stitch_b]

Quote:
I just came back to try and coax him to eat or drink and he was belly up...I guess I was too late

 

[ChickenFanatic447]

Poor chick.. I'm so sorry for your loss, I just lost two chicks recently too, I know how hard it can be.

I hope the others live on and stay as healthy as possible, good luck in future hatches.

 

[Soli]

If it's any consolation, I've seen those exact symptoms. On my first hatch, 3 chicks hatched fine at first, but never progressed far past the floppy stage they are in post-hatch. One died two days later, the other two took three days to die - I thought they may have recovered. Same symptoms - inability to raise or maintain head up for long, sleep a great deal, and then it progresses to that heaving-fast breathing you describe which means (in just about all animals) imminent death (it's related to system/heart failure but that is usually secondary to whatever is killing them).