sick chick

[Zookeeper9000]

I have a 3 week old blue orp chick. There are 4 others in the hatch. I noticed 2 days ago that this little one was not acting the same she/he was making a funny chirp and doing it alot. She/he was also sitting with her/his butt in the air, face in the shavings and panting really hard, so hard that the area where the vent is was pulseing (not sure if I described that right or spelled it right), also the eyes are closed, just tired and not very active. I put her/him in a separte brooder with a light and food and water. Got to reading on the board and added 3 drops of polysol vits a day. She/he is still with me but doesn't seem to be coming around not worse not better. I had to remove the heat source or she/he flops to the side and can't catch breath. I am giving water with a dropper (carefully) and seems to help but now I am noticing that she/he is not going to the bathroom hasn't all day, the vent is clean no paste butt in fact nothing at all really clean. Also this baby has stopped growing in the last week she/he is 1/2 the size of the other 4, skin and bones. I should say that I have 65 chicks here 23 are 5 weeks, the blue orps are 3 weeks, and the other 37 are 2 weeks old. No other chicks are having any problems, they are eating, drinking, pooping just fine. When she/he drinks she is fine but after a few drops she like chokes I have looked down her throat and see nothing out of the ordinary (chick throats are weird) that I can tell, the mouth is nice and pink. Nothing in crop can't get her/him to eat a thing no matter how week, what do I do. I just can't think of anything else. I am rocking her and telling her stories and singing to her softly, and keep her/him hydrated as I know that dehydration will kill them faster than anything, she/he seems to like the company but I have no idea what I am doing. First time with chicks so I am in the dark. I use to handfeed parrots so I know the drill on the lungs and stuff but not sure what else to do for this baby. Bothers me that the butt is in the air while the face is in the pine chips, the way she/he is breathing is just not explainable. Thanks for any and all help.

 

[tiki244]

I am sorry to hear about your little chick. That is very sweet that you are rocking her and telling her storys. Best wishes and good luck

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Thanks for the support Kris means alot. My I rock everything and everyone, I just believe it is a comfort thing.

 

[sammi]

could this chick be "constipated"?

maybe a little molasses in water would help..
and a drop of mineral oil for the vent?

 

[Zookeeper9000]

She went poop fine yesterday but nothing today I think that is because I can't get her to eat. I did give her some oil just a little while ago (along the beak like I do the water) as I wondered if she could of got some pine chips from the bedding. I don't feel any hardness by the vent, how do you put oil in the vent as I don't want to hurt more than I help. Thanks

 

[sammi]

have you felt the crop?

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Yes I felt the crop and nothing in the crop, I can't even get enough water in this baby to make it begin to show in the crop, I put a few drops of water in her/him watch for the swallow and then this baby starts to like choke or try to chirp without sound. I have never seen anything like it. I hand fed birds but not chickens and am at a total loss. I have been searching all over to try and figure this out.

My 7 brothers have been no help the dirty rats, they just keep saying it's a chicken, your doing everything ya can think of and more, stop rocking it if it dies it dies. Heartless buggers I am not liking any of them today. Vets are no help at all, response was we don't do chickens.

Thanks for helping

 

[sammi]

don't put water in it's mouth..
have you dipped it's beak in water?

to give water, give by drops on beak..

are you sure there's nothing in the crop?

what are you feeding?

does the belly feel hard?

 

[Zookeeper9000]

I am not putting it in the mouth I am wetting the beak and she/he opens and gets liquid from the side.

I have dipped the beak in water and food and nothing not interested in either one

I am sure nothing is in crop that I can feel. I hand fed parrots so I know the crop well

feeding purina starter grower

only hard part on this baby is the feathers.

 

[sammi]

there is a condition that effects chicks..and stunts their growth..(sometimes called "stunting syndrome")

tho it's possible she did eat some bedding and has a blockage further down.


for info about stunting syndrome:

click here