"Sick chick" Silkie Questions and baby chick life saving advice needed!

[TallyChickens]

We have several chicks. I have named this one 'Sick chick" he is a silkie, 2 days old. he was in the main brooder when i noticed how lethargic he was being. he was not eating or drinking. I separated him.

Now, he is in a small box with a heater. He has electrolyte and probiotic supplements. He has not passed waste since i separated him, which was at 11 am. It is now 11 pm. He appeared to have a "Gooked up" bottom. I say gooked up because it really didn't look like poo. It was yellow, green. A small amount that was just kind of stuck to him, not really a glob. I soaked him and cleaned him off the best I could. He is resting now, he has drank some water and ate a tiny amount of food but still not passed any waste. I am not sure if he is backed up or just hasn't consumed anything to pass.....? I fear he won't make it through the night and i love him dearly.

He is snuggled up to his stuffed animal in the small cardboard box. Occasionally throughout the day, he comes out and walks around but for the most part, he snuggles and sleeps.

How long can a baby chick not go to the bathroom?
Any advice?

Do silkie chicks have any characteristics at a few days old that could be a telltale sign of a rooster or a hen? One silkie chick has a large amount of head fluff. lol. I was wondering if this meany anything.

 

[realsis]

you need to make sure the vent is open there could be hard poop inside where you can't see keeping the chick from going. you might want to VERY GENTLY place a small amount of oil on a q tip and VERY CAREFULLY AND SLIGHTLY insert just a bit of the oiled Qtip into its vent to lubricate and insure no hard blockage. it will die if it can't poop so make sure it's vent isn't clogged . Hope this helps. best wishes.

 

[Clearly]

Hi there,

I'm so sorry about all of this, the stress with baby chicks is horrible, I know!

I won't presume to know what's happening here, (especially with the dis colored pasty butt), but I will say that the best advice I ever got on this board when I had a chick that was lethargic and wouldn't stand at all, was PolyViSol. It is liquid baby vitamins. I mixed a drop or two into plain yogurt for my sick chick, and that DAY she returned to normal. I'd done the probiotics and electrolytes, to no avail.

PolyViSol was my saving grace, and it's now my go-to remedy with any sick chick.

Sounds like you did everything in regards to the pasty bottom. And other than some oil, I don't have any advice there. But I wanted to put forth this remedy in addition to what you've done. Worth a shot, and I hope your baby gets better!!!! Please update!

 

[katdog]

Sounds like pasty butt. You can add apple cider vinegar to the water to prevent it, but in my experience Silkies are the worst about getting it because of their downy fuzz. The best thing you can do is check his butt multiple times a day, and just press a warm wet rag to it when he pastes up. He will die if he cannot poop. Applying antibiotic ointment or vasoline to his butt after cleaning it will prevent repasting for a bit.

 

[Jensownzoo]

"Nutri-drench" might also be helpful as it supplies vitamins, minerals, and amino acids as well as a quick form of energy. I have that, powdered electrolytes, and a probiotic in my sick chick supportive care kit.

Also good: mashed hard-boiled egg yolks for the recently hatched +/- ground oatmeal/cornmeal for stress diarrhea.

 

[TallyChickens]

I feel like he is doing better. He passed waste once. He drank more water this morning. i really appreciate all the tips and I will be trying some of them as soon as I get home, I have to stop by the store to pick up supplies! When he drinks water, he throws his head back and bobs his head up and down. What could that be caused by?