Rapid heart beat

[JulieZ]

My new chick "Mork" has a rapid heart beat. Not really sure about his breathing but that little heart of his is beating a mile a minute. He seems tired but eats & drinks. The other thing is his lower abdomen. He had putty booty so I cleaned him up. Now his belly is a bit swollen & he has plucked off all the feathers. It looks bad. Thinking it to be constipation as I watched him for at least a half hour & he never pooped, I gave him a little vegetable oil. But even before pasty butt, he has always had a rapid heart beat. Any ideas what causes that? I'm worried I will loose him.

 

[Lorije1]

most animals dehydration and pain are the culprits behind a rapid heart rate. no help I know.... but it's a 'bump"

 

[gallusdomesticus]

Don't worry about the rapid heartbeat. A chicken's heart beats 275 times a minute.

http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/longevity.htm

It's interesting that according to the website above, only humans and chickens get more than 2 billion heartbeats in their life time!

 

[shellybean40]

I had a little sweetie this spring who was born with a rapid heartbeat. She also labored in her breathing. She was treated in every way I knew, and no one ever got it (she hatched with 36 others). She lived for about 6 weeks, it just got gradually worse until she died one afternoon in my arms. I cried my eyes out. She really tried to make it. i wonder if she had a heart defect. if you felt another chick's heartrate, it was much slower than hers. I hope you little chick gets better!!

 

[EuroChook]

My new chick "Mork" has a rapid heart beat. Not really sure about his breathing but that little heart of his is beating a mile a minute. He seems tired but eats & drinks. The other thing is his lower abdomen. He had putty booty so I cleaned him up. Now his belly is a bit swollen & he has plucked off all the feathers. It looks bad. Thinking it to be constipation as I watched him for at least a half hour & he never pooped, I gave him a little vegetable oil. But even before pasty butt, he has always had a rapid heart beat. Any ideas what causes that? I'm worried I will loose him.

They can be at 500bpm at birth and for first few weeks before slowing to normal adult rate. I hope all is well these days!