Straining/constipated 3 week old chick????

[ninjamama]

Yes I only tried the dropper of yogurt and diluted molasses once. She has been this way since we brought her home.

 

[rebecca truppi]

I have a Deleware 5 week old chick with the same problem. She acts normal, eats a ton, and is lively. She is considerably smaller than the others. I assist her at times with a q-tip and Vaseline. Should this still be a problem at 5 weeks? Thoughts, suggestions?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a Deleware 5 week old chick with the same problem. She acts normal, eats a ton, and is lively. She is considerably smaller than the others. I assist her at times with a q-tip and Vaseline. Should this still be a problem at 5 weeks? Thoughts, suggestions?

Hi @rebecca truppi Welcome To BYC

Any photos?
What are you feeding your chick?
Is the vent swollen, irritated or prolapsed?

Is the poop hard or is she just having problems going? Having to assist with q-tip and vaseline at 5wks would be concerning.

Watch to see that she is drinking well. Offer her wet chick starter and make sure there is a source of grit available free choice (poultry grit/crushed granite, etc.)

 

[rebecca truppi]

Hi @rebecca truppi Welcome To BYC

Any photos?
What are you feeding your chick?
Is the vent swollen, irritated or prolapsed?

Is the poop hard or is she just having problems going? Having to assist with q-tip and vaseline at 5wks would be concerning.

Watch to see that she is drinking well. Offer her wet chick starter and make sure there is a source of grit available free choice (poultry grit/crushed granite, etc.)

 

[rebecca truppi]

That is not her, but what her butt looks like when she goes.

 

[getaclue]

I would be soaking it once, or twice a day in warm water, and putting antibiotic ointment (NO PAIN RELIEF) on the area, AND mix a little olive oil in it's feed for a few days.

 

[rebecca truppi]

This is her trying to go.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This is her trying to go.

It looks like she has some prolapse. Soak her in a warm epsom salts bath. Apply some hemmoriod cream to the vent, you probably will need to do this at least daily, but if you can do it 2x a day that would be best.

It's possible this may help correct the protruding tissue. Offer her wet feed, poultry vitamins and poultry grit free choice. See that she is drinking plenty of water.

She may have some type of intestinal deformity or genetic defect, but this looks like it's from prolonged straining/constipation. I would try to get this corrected, as she gets older and comes into lay, I suspect that she will have difficulty laying an egg and could prolapse fully.

Let us know how she is doing.

 

[rebecca truppi]

Thank you so much. How do you do the warm baths?

 

[casportpony]

Thank you so much. How do you do the warm baths?

@rebecca truppi , welcome to BYC! Try removing all dry feed and replace with well moistened crumbles.