please help - listless chick

[annek]

Be careful that you don't put in too much heat! I remember a post a while back that they did the space heater thing too and ended up killing their chicks in just a few hours when it became too hot. Do you have a baby monitor or can you make it so that you can hear the chicks. They will cry if they get too hot or cold.

 

[ausamerican33]

Yikes! I'll lower the temp on my space heater. It's in my bathroom, right next to my bedroom (attached). As they are chirping away, I'm thinking I'm not going to get much sleep. But that's okay - as long as they make it. I think I'll grab a good book and a beer and head to bed!

 

[ausamerican33]

I did "kangaroo care" for her yesterday - basically carried her around all day. She seemed perkier when I held her, and peeping and pathetic when I didn't. She pecked a few bits of crumble from the ground, but not much. She won't drink by herself. I've been giving her dropperfuls of water, sugar, electrolytes, and soaked crumble juice. I also put in a little apple cider vinegar and polyvisol vitamins. I'm so scared of putting it down her windpipe, though. Her beak is making this little clicking noise when she breathes. Well, maybe it's her throat, and not her beak. I really didn't think she'd make it thru the night, but she did. She won't really stand on her own - just sit back on her haunches. I still don't know what to do further.

She's so little compared to the others. It's almost like she just doesn't know how to feed herself. She was walking some yesterday, but only a little wobbly steps to come to my hand - I think she thinks I'm mama, b/c she'll immediately stop peeping when I put my hand on her - so sweet.

 

[artsyrobin]

poor little baby- try making a gruel of the feed, so it is thin, and drop little drops on her beak, she may be able to get some into her that way...the clicking may be a respiratory problem- just guessing on that one- but pet birds sometimes have that happen-

 

[ausamerican33]

I think it is respitory too - her breathing is more labored, and the clicking sound happens when she breathes.

I've got some chicken antibiotics - I'm going to give her some of that. It is so hard to figure out the dosing on it, though. It gives the dose in such big quantities, when all I need is a dropperful! I put a sock with rice and warmed it up - she loves it. If you take her away from her "bed" she will go right back to it. That is the most she can walk, but I think it shows spunk.

 

[Chic Chick]

Could she have tried to swallow some bedding and have it stuck in her throat or crop? Give her a few drops of olive oil and see if that helps....
Good Luck!

 

[ausamerican33]

Poor little thing passed away - we tried as hard as we could to save her.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I'm wondering if the rest of your chicks were ok. I got chicks from McMurray recently too and one Buff Orpington had similar symptoms (possibly respiratory) and was very thin as if it had not been eating at all. It died on me. I am worried about the other chicks. They look ok right now, so I have just ACV in their waterer as a precaution.

 

[ausamerican33]

All the other chicks were just fine - healthy as can be. They are about 5 weeks old. I put electrolytes in their water about every other day.