sick baby chick

[bayou_momma]

We just got a bunch of baby chicks about 2 weeks ago. I was cleaning the brooding pin out yesterday and noticed one of them wasn't as lively & it kept closing it's eye. After cleaning the pin, I put all the others back but kept the sick one out to take a better look. I noticed it looked like the little chicks eyes were bulging out a little & he kept his eyes closed alot. I set it down to see what it would do, it ran around a little, but would stop to rub it's face on it's breast, like his eyes were bothering him, sometimes loosing his balance while doing so. The color of his eyes aren't dark like the other chick's either, it's more of a brown color. I wasn't sure if he's sick, or hurt himself or is going blind. If he's sick I didn't think it would be wise to have him in the same pin as the others, so I kept him in a box with food, water & a heating lamp. Sometimes when I checked on him he was sleeping, sometimes he would be standing up & awake, but still closing his eyes alot. One time this evening when I check, it was chasing the bugs the light was attracting, he looked like he was doing ok, so I put it back in with the others hoping it's not a contagious sickness & that being with the others would help it stay warm during the night & keep him from being lonely...So, does anybody have any idea what might be wrong, what should I do, if there is anything I can do, if it is sick or hurt? Any help or information will be greatly appreciated, as you can probably tell, I'm a newbie at this and just want to do the best I can for the little chicks.

 

[kstaven]

I moved this to a place where it will get the attention it needs.

 

[ruth]

If it was chasing bugs, it's not blind.

Which hatchery did you order your chicks from and have you seen the many posts on the sick chicks that came from one particular hatchery? If not, take a look at those threads.

If it's just this one chick - does it's eyes look any better today? It could have gotten something in them and they could have been irritated. Or, how high was the heat lamp? If too low they can get too close and burn themselves or their eyes if they look into it - especially if they are trying to chase and catch the bugs flying into the light.

I know that when I put my baby chicks outside in their hutch with the heat lamp they go crazy over chasing the bugs that fly around the light and would slam themselves face first into the light in an effort to catch one. So you have to have the light high enough that they can't do that. I put mine just high enough that they can't jump up and touch it but it can still provide warmth - and a source of all night football games.

 

[Germangirlygirl]

I have two chcicks showing those same symptoms.... one died last week

 

[Latashamchan]

I just got two new baby chickens today and one is so calm and quiet but the ore is so very loud! I'm only 13 and I don't know what to do! And the loud ones poop is runny and not very solid sometimes. Like I sad I just got them today so I don't know wether the loud one is sick or. It! If anyone has any answers please help me out!

 

[Latashamchan]

Please help me

 

[Eggcessive]

I just got two new baby chickens today and one is so calm and quiet but the ore is so very loud! I'm only 13 and I don't know what to do! And the loud ones poop is runny and not very solid sometimes. Like I sad I just got them today so I don't know wether the loud one is sick or. It! If anyone has any answers please help me out!

Welcome to BYC. If you have some time you might want to read some of the info up at the top of the page under Learning Center about the care of baby chicks. Make sure that your chicks are warm enough. Place a thermometer on the floor under the brooder lamp--temp should be 90 degrees the first week, 85, 2nd week, 80 the 3rd week, and so on. Always have a cooler spot in your brooder if they are too warm. Dip their beaks into the water a few times. A little sugar in the water (or SaveAChick vitamins/electrolytes) would be good for today and tomorrow, then stop if they are okay. A little child-proof stuffed animal might help your loud one. Try picking it up and holding it it to see if it stops. Most important is to check their vents to make sure the poop is not stuck to their bottoms blocking their vents (called pasty butt.) Good luck with the new babies.