Urgent! H-E-L-P

[MissFrizzletheChick]

She is a few days old. She has this weird brown stuff on her butt that isn’t poop, near her navel, which someone on here told me was a scab of some kind that will fall off on its own. She chirps all the time- it is not from cold as we tried cranking up the heat, turning it down a little, everything. She still won’t stop. It sounds like a car alarm.
Two days ago a different chick died after non stop chirping aswell. Again, we did EVERYTHING we could think of to try to help her.
Today, there was some kind of mess on top of the brown stuff- I thought it was poop but maybe I was wrong. I rinsed her with lukewarm water and then carefully dried her off.
She almost seems worse! I don’t know what to do, and I feel very overwhelmed.
She has plenty of heat, she has access to food and water, and shes pooping seemingly normally. I noticed there seemed to be a little bit of clear, watery substance that splattered out when she goes, though. Is that normal?
Can someone tell me what’s going on? When the other chick died, I cleaned out EVERYTHING to try to prevent any spread of disease... even gave hem a brand new waterer and feeder. The first day, they pooped in their feeder a lot until I could get them a proper one (COVID-19 has been very disruptive to us getting out needed supplies). Could that have something to do with it?

If you have an answer, can you 1. tell me what it could be and 2. Any suggestions, resources, or instructions you might have?

THANK YOU!!!
Please help my little baby <3

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

The bump, given its location, appears to just be the umbilicus, and should just be left alone unless it looks concerning (weepy, bloody, etc.).

Incessant, distressed chirping isn't normal, so it's good you're trying to determine the cause. Is she constipated? Chicks can get constipated or have "pasty" poop for a number of reasons, including when they're chilled or too warm. Can the chicks get away from the heat lamp? How warm is it in their brooder, and how have they been behaving - huddling together, panting?

Pasty butt can be a (literal) killer when they're very young. I check butts constantly when they're less than a week old, and put probiotics in their water to help ensure healthy gut flora. Do you have any probiotics you can offer them?

The BYC Learning Center has a lot of resources, like this guide. Best of luck!

 

[MissFrizzletheChick]

Okay, thanks.
That is definitely a possibility. How can you tell if she is constipated? The heat is on one side and the temperature is a lot less on one side, which makes it easier for them to get away. I have been observing their behavior, and they mostly stay apart but when they sleep, they sometimes cuddle or sleep near to eachother. It doesn’t seem obsessive though, but chirpy gal does seem like she really wants to snuggle. The warm side of the brooder is at about 97- it was 95 but they all seemed to dislike it so i made it slightly warmer not wanting them to overheat.

As for probiotics, yes! We have been giving them a simple probiotic powder mixed in with their water since day one.

Also, she does stop chirping when she is sleeping- is that important at all?

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I don't think it's unusual that she stops chirping when she's sleeping - I imagine it's similar to how (human) babies stop crying when they're sleeping.

If she's straining to poop, has a visible blockage, or is having difficulty passing stool, she may be constipated. Your description of the goop on top of the umbilical bump suggests sticky poop that may be adhering there. This thread may be helpful. I haven't tried molasses, myself, but I've seen it mentioned as a constipation remedy in more than one thread.

 

[CatWhisperer]

What are you feeding? Can you get a proper chick waterer instead of using a lid since it won’t hold enough to last long. She may be constipated simply from not drinking enough. Consider bringing them indoors where you can monitor things more closely.

 

[MissFrizzletheChick]

They are eating mushed up chick feed.
I can not get one because of the extreme COVID circumstances in my area, however I am aware about their need of water and have crafted my own waterer that is working just as well. They are not out of water even after overnight, and we check on them at every night anyways.
Also haha, they actually are inside.
Thanks for the suggestions! I have done a bunch of research and am pretty confident that she’ll be okay!