Treating Extreem Heat exhaustion in 3.5 week old chick

[Magelet]

My indoor brooder was getting stinky so I built a new one in the garage. Last night I knew it was going to get near freeezing so I insulated the sides with emergency blanket (the reflective stuff) put two lamps at one end. I checked on them at 5pm and 8 and 10 and midnight. All were in the middle and moving around as normal. At 6 am 5 were in the middle and normal, the smallest one was on her own with her wing spread out. Her body temp seems warm when I check her breast/tummy... so I thin she might actually have gotten heat exhaustion by being/going right under the lights. She doesn't want to raise her head, just lies on her side, one wing out panting, and sometimes one foot will tremble. I have brought her inside and put her with a regular desk light with a purple bulb shining on her butt (so that is probably 75 degrees) and her head is likely at about 70. Is this good? Should I make it warmer or colder? she will drink water when i drip it on her beak, but after about 5 drops shakes her head violently. HELP! HELP! what do I do? This chick is my favorite, my baby.

 

[Magelet]

FYI the brooder was covered but with some vent holes on the sides of the top

 

[MrsBachbach]

My indoor brooder was getting stinky so I built a new one in the garage.  Last night I knew it was going to get near freeezing so I insulated the sides with emergency blanket (the reflective stuff) put two lamps at one end.  I checked on them at 5pm  and 8 and 10 and midnight.  All were in the middle and moving around as normal.  At 6 am 5 were in the middle and normal, the smallest one was on her own with her wing spread out.  Her body temp seems warm when I check her breast/tummy... so I thin she might actually have gotten heat exhaustion by being/going right under the lights.  She doesn't want to raise her head, just lies on her side, one wing out panting, and sometimes one foot will tremble.  I have brought her inside and put her with a regular desk light with a purple bulb shining on her butt (so that is probably 75 degrees) and her head is likely at about 70.  Is this good?  Should I make it warmer or colder?  she will drink water when i drip it on her beak, but after about 5 drops shakes her head violently.  HELP!  HELP!  what do I do?  This chick is my favorite, my baby.

At three weeks old the ideal temp would be about 80-85 degrees. I would get some electrolytes in the chick. Add the poultry electrolytes to their water and give just a few drops of that at a time. Five drops just may be too much at one time. Chick likely does need rehydrating, but very likely needs those electrolytes also. You can usually find that stuff at feed stores or tractor supply. Make sure chicks can move out from under the heat in your new brooder. They shoud have a cooler area to move to when needed and a warmer area near the heat lamps. Temps under and around the lamps should be about 85 degrees right now. I usually keep the water and feed out from under the lamps.

 

[Magelet]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for replying.
I do not feel like having her in the brooder is a good idea right now -the other chicks, all bigger than her, were walking on her, her extended wing and pecking at her.

I didn't know if maybe somewhat cooler than the 85 would be good for her right now. Where I have her, she is probably 75 degrees right now. I feel like I need to pick the temperature for her, because she has not gotten to her feet by herself at all this morning, just flapped her wings and tried to get onto her stomach after one of the other chicks flipped her over.... so should I really raise the temp where she is to 85? 80?

 

[Magelet]

I have given her water three times none with electrolites, the last with a bit of flock starter. I also misted her after seeing a board that said misters were good for cooling and sticking a chicken's head under water when they started to succumb could be life saving... but I just couldn't see putting such a fragile animal's head underwater when she looks to be in respiratory distress (48 breaths per minute through most of this)

 

[Magelet]

I forgot to say that she is no longer panting nor has a wing way out. Her feet no longer have the tremors They are more slid off her back as she looks totally wiped. she is sleeping like a puddle of chick. I have no idea if this is her next to death, or going to sleep after an exhausting ordeal.

 

[MrsBachbach]

I have given her water three times none with electrolites, the last with a bit of flock starter.  I also misted her after seeing a board that said misters were good for cooling and sticking a chicken's head under water when they started to succumb could be life saving... but I just couldn't see putting such a fragile animal's head underwater when she looks to be in respiratory distress (48 breaths per minute through most of this)

Eighty would be the lowest I would go. Forget about running her head under water or misting. That's likely for full grown birds. I think it would just chill a chick. You say she is smaller than the rest? Is she younger or just not thriving? It could very well be that the reason you found her under the light is because she could not remove herself from the area because there is something else that is afflicting her. It could be a respiratory illness, or some other illness. Or the respiratory distress could be that it might have aspirated some liquid when you tried to hydrate her. You have to be very, very careful when trying to get chicks to drink liquid. I take a small syringe, one ml size, put it against the tip of their beak, tilt their head up slightly with the syringe and administer one drop and wait for them to swallow. Depending on their size, just a few drops that way, but you would do it several times a day. If you don't have any electrolytes handy, some people add a bit of sugar to water to give the chick energy, but I would really look for some "save a chick" electrolyte solution at your feed stores. If it is indeed sick, it is probably best that you removed her. I would clean and sanitize the feeders and change the bedding in the brooder, just in case. Hope she makes it. Not much more you can do for the bird unless you want to put some antibiotics in it's water also.

 

[MrsBachbach]

One other thing, once she starts to act semi normal, is see if she is eating. She could be very weak from not eating, especially if she is the smallest one and being picked on. Chicks can tell who is not right or ill and it is natural for them to pick at the weak ones and kill it. That's why chickens hide their illness until it is almost too late.
One thing you can try to feed the chick to regain strength is some liquid food. I have found that baby food such as peas or a little baby rice cereal with some liquid egg yolk and water mixed in is easy to dispense with a syringe. If they feel ike eating they will usually eat from that syringe. This is usually with week old chicks that are very small, but it might help stimulate a three week old chick into eating again.
When you get ready to put the chick back, you might try taking one small chick (less agressive) from the brood and put it with her for a day, then add another the next day, see how they get along and then reintroduce all three back to the brood. Maybe she will have friends then and not be so singled out.

 

[Magelet]

Thank you again. I will keep this updated

 

[Magelet]

She is still out of it unable to stand, just flap and fall over awkwardly. I now believe she had a heat stroke. I am treating her by giving her water mixed with pedialyte and flock starter roughly once an hour.

I am concerned that she will either die or that this will be a super long process because of this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/550014/chicken-survived-a-heat-stroke