Possible crop issue, not eating always "swallowing"

[WhatTheCluck89]

Hello! I am new to chickens. I have 20. The friend in question is over 3 weeks old I believe. She is an ameraucana cross. I get her over a week ago and she is living in a 8' x 4' brooder with hemp bedding ( I just changed yesterday because the wood chips seemed dusty). They are in my basement. Everyone else is healthy crazy and always eating and playing around. I noticed yesterday she wasn't coming around like the rest. She just wants to stay under the light. I checked her crop and it is empty. She has been keeping her mouth open, and looks like she is trying to swallow, I will attach a video. She seems lighter than the others her age. She also is not freaking out when I pick her up, the other two that are the same breed are VERY sketchy lol.

Some things to mention. I haven't given them anything but chick feed. I just introduced them to some sand because they were trying to clean themselves in the woodchips making it seem dusty they started using the sand "dust" bath right away. So maybe she ate that? Also no one is sneezing or acting sick. I haven't noticed any wierd poops. And it doesn't look like there is anything in her mouth or throat. (Her/she is me being hopeful I have no idea anyone's sex rn)

*will post video in a moment* just figuring out how to convert from mp4*

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The friend in question is over 3 weeks old I believe.

She just wants to stay under the light. I checked her crop and it is empty. She has been keeping her mouth open, and looks like she is trying to swallow, I will attach a video.

Upload video to youtube and provide a link.

Please post some photos of the chick and her poop too. If you are using a red lamp in your brooder, please turn it off for the photos. Thanks!

Her crop is empty? Will she drink if you hold a shallow cup or spoon of water to her beak?

 

[WhatTheCluck89]

Upload video to youtube and provide a link.

Please post some photos of the chick and her poop too. If you are using a red lamp in your brooder, please turn it off for the photos. Thanks!

Her crop is empty? Will she drink if you hold a shallow cup or spoon of water to her beak?

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! Sorry it took me so long I had to take a new video and figure out how to upload. Any ways here she is with me trying to give her water. It is hard to tell is the water is going down because she shakes her head to get it out it seems. Just waiting for poop now.

 

[WhatTheCluck89]

This just in... when I give her water bubbles are coming out of her eyes. So I'm going to stop that I feel..

 

[WhatTheCluck89]

Update. She pooped a very small clear foamy poop.

 

[topochico225]

Oh, poor baby. I hope someone can help. @azygous @Eggcessive

Her upper beak looks REALLY long for her age. Interesting. I hope you can find help!

 

[WhatTheCluck89]

Oh, poor baby. I hope someone can help. @azygous @Eggcessive

Her upper beak looks REALLY long for her age. Interesting. I hope you can find help!

Thank you! I didn't know who to tag. Really appreciate any help. I also thought that upper beak was a bit long.

 

[azygous]

This unfortunate chick appears to have some serious genetic defects. It will likely fall into the category of failure-to-thrive (FTT). There is normally no solid barrier between a chicken's throat and their eye sockets, but they don't have open passages as this chick appears to have. So when it tries to drink, water is going up and out of its eye sockets, and it's questionable how much is going down its throat and into the crop where it's needed.

The beak is malformed. Not only is the lower beak too short and the upper beak too long, the upper beak is sickle shaped and prevents scooping with the lower beak. This interferes with drinking and eating. It's doubtful whether the chick is able to get enough food and water down.

These are just the visible defects. It's reasonable to suspect the chick has improperly developed liver, gizzard, kidneys, heart and lungs. It may be impossible for it to metabolize calories and nutrients, and the fact it spends much of the time hogging the heat indicates it's already behind nutritionally as it's not getting the calories necessary to produce body heat.

The prognosis for this chick is very poor. You might want to think about cutting its suffering short because suffering is what's in store for it and not much else.

 

[topochico225]

If you decide to cull this chick, here are some methods of doing it:
Snipping the head:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-for-squeamish-people-slightly-graphic.74734/

Some people recommend the freezer method (what it sounds like) but this method is cruel, and the chick can feel itself freezing to death.

My mom has used the engine starter fluid method, too. It worked quite well, with no apparent suffering from the chick, which had genetic defects. Here's a description of how to do it from @briteday :

Spoiler: Description of ether culling method

An alternative is engine starter spray, available at any automotive store. It is ether. I just fill a baggie with the spray, wait a minute to let the fumes build up in the closed bag and then put the chick into the bag holding the bag closed. It literally takes 1 second for the chick to die...just one inhalation of the fumes and it's over with. I just can't do the cutting thing. My daughter also uses ether and hides the whole process under a towel so she doesn't have to watch. FYI, you can use this for a full grown hen as well, but only the head will fit into the bag and it does take a bit longer(less than a minute though) for the hen to expire. But they do become unconscious after the first breath. Just be sure that the heart has stopped beating (you can feel it with your hand) before you let go.

Best of luck to you. Dealing with a suffering animal is never easy. We're here for you.

 

[WhatTheCluck89]

This unfortunate chick appears to have some serious genetic defects. It will likely fall into the category of failure-to-thrive (FTT). There is normally no solid barrier between a chicken's throat and their eye sockets, but they don't have open passages as this chick appears to have. So when it tries to drink, water is going up and out of its eye sockets, and it's questionable how much is going down its throat and into the crop where it's needed.

The beak is malformed. Not only is the lower beak too short and the upper beak too long, the upper beak is sickle shaped and prevents scooping with the lower beak. This interferes with drinking and eating. It's doubtful whether the chick is able to get enough food and water down.

These are just the visible defects. It's reasonable to suspect the chick has improperly developed liver, gizzard, kidneys, heart and lungs. It may be impossible for it to metabolize calories and nutrients, and the fact it spends much of the time hogging the heat indicates it's already behind nutritionally as it's not getting the calories necessary to produce body heat.

The prognosis for this chick is very poor. You might want to think about cutting its suffering short because suffering is what's in store for it and not much else.

Thank you for the quick response, I was afraid of this. I guess that's what I signed up for... Wish me luck. Here goes nothing.