Struggling baby chick

[_havecourageandbekind]

Hey! Im new here and we have our first batch of chicks. We have 10. They have all been healthy and thriving for almost three weeks but we have one that is struggling. I was checking them for pasty butt and I found one had a petruding vent and it was red and looked a little infected. I cleaned the chicks butt with warm water and blow-dried it. I only got the small area wet as not to get it too cold. I applied a bit of coconut oil. A few seconds later it had a HUGE poop. The area looks to be healing now but its still reddish and looks like a dry scab. This particular chick is light in color and she looks to have some red spots on her skin, almost like irritation. She's always picking at herself. Ive also had one of her eyes get crusted shut the last two mornings. It opens easily with a bit of warm water and doesn't look infected, but idk what is wrong. She is eating and drinking. I have grit in their brooder. It's at the right temp. Im using pine shavings. Organic chick starter. There water is cleaned twice a day and I add a bit of ACV one and a while for probiotics. I don't want to loose her, idk what to do. The rest of the flock seem super healthy and are thriving. She's the smallest now. Any advice?

 

[sourland]

Sadly some chicks just have failure to thrive - and then sometimes they spontaneously turn around and catch up to their flock mates. Make sure that she keeps defecating and perhaps provide some vitamin supplementation. Good luck.

 

[_havecourageandbekind]

Sadly some chicks just have failure to thrive - and then sometimes they spontaneously turn around and catch up to their flock mates. Make sure that she keeps defecating and perhaps provide some vitamin supplementation. Good luck.

Thank you! I will try the vitamin supplementation.

 

[FortCluck]

You can do Pedialyte the clear one or the nutri drench to help it. Coconut oil on the irritated spots will help and it's okay if it consumes it because it's healthy for them. Sounds like she didn't fully close before hatching, it'll eventually fix itself. I had chicks like this my first hatch and it eventually fixed itself as the chicks grew.

 

[_havecourageandbekind]

You can do Pedialyte the clear one or the nutri drench to help it. Coconut oil on the irritated spots will help and it's okay if it consumes it because it's healthy for them. Sounds like she didn't fully close before hatching, it'll eventually fix itself. I had chicks like this my first hatch and it eventually fixed itself as the chicks grew.

Ok, Thank you so much!

 

[FortCluck]

Ok, Thank you so much!

Make a chicken area in your shed or house where you can store emergency stuff. I would put Vetericyn, Blu Kote, Pedialyte (clear colored), Nutri Drench, rubbing alcohol (for sterilizing stuff), Epsom salt, ACV with the mother, coconut oil, tweezers, distilled water, sterile syringe with no needles, and rooster booster.

These are all the things I've used with my last few hatches, they've all been great.

 

[_havecourageandbekind]

Make a chicken area in your shed or house where you can store emergency stuff. I would put Vetericyn, Blu Kote, Pedialyte (clear colored), Nutri Drench, rubbing alcohol (for sterilizing stuff), Epsom salt, ACV with the mother, coconut oil, tweezers, distilled water, sterile syringe with no needles, and rooster booster.

These are all the things I've used with my last few hatches, they've all been great.

I will, that’s super helpful. Thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I was checking them for pasty butt and I found one had a petruding vent and it was red and looked a little infected. I cleaned the chicks butt with warm water and blow-dried it. I only got the small area wet as not to get it too cold. I applied a bit of coconut oil. A few seconds later it had a HUGE poop. The area looks to be healing now but its still reddish and looks like a dry scab. This particular chick is light in color and she looks to have some red spots on her skin, almost like irritation.

She's always picking at herself. Ive also had one of her eyes get crusted shut the last two mornings. It opens easily with a bit of warm water and doesn't look infected, but idk what is wrong.

It's at the right temp.

almost three weeks

Can you post some photos of your chick, her vent, the red spots on the skin, the eye and of your brooder?
The brooder is the right temp - what is that and what are you using for heat?

 

[_havecourageandbekind]

Can you post some photos of your chick, her vent, the red spots on the skin, the eye and of your brooder?
The brooder is the right temp - what is that and what are you using for heat?

She’s actually looking much better today. I’ll post a picture of her vent. It looks like pasty butt kinda but it’s actually a scab and I think happened was she got backed up and it made her vent infected and strech and crack when she finally pooped. The redness has gone down a ton and I’m keeping coconut oil on it. The temp is between 85-80. I have a thermometer in the bottom under the light. We’re using a light for heat. It’s a heat light so it’s dark and not bright all night. Her eyes were not crusty today. I gave her electrolights yesterday. They were three weeks Friday.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Cute chicks!
The other chicks may have picked at it a bit too.
Looks like you are doing good taking care of her. It may help to soak her vent in a warm epsom salts solution, that can reduce swelling, soften the scab and it will slough off quicker - the scabbing might be making it harder to poop. It's probably itchy too if she's picking at it. Coconut oil or vaseline are fine to use. You can also put a bit of anti-inflammatory cream on there. I would encourage her to drink. Wet feed is sometimes a good way to get more fluids into them.

The whole brooder is 85-80 or just under the lamp? If they seem comfortable, then they are probably fine with that.

It's good that the eyes seemed to have cleared up, she may have gotten something in them.