Urgent! Lethargic quail chick swollen eyes, heavy head. Deteriorating!

[suspiciousmaxwell]

I have a 3 day old quail chick that had a tough hatch.



1st night it was very lethargic and shaky, swollen eyes and gagging, raspy (clicking?) and shaking head constantly. I fed quail egg yolk and manuka honey water from drops on my knuckle and the chick improved massively within 15m, appearing normal and healthy. Swelling around eyes appeared to be slowly deflating. It was eating and drinking normally and running around.

Over the last 24 hours though, chick seems to be deteriorating from happy and healthy to barely able to hold its head up with eyes swollen shut again. It is scratching at its head when it can and I believe I can hear rice krispy kind of clicking when chest/shoulder area gently manipulated.

I am concerned that the chick has somehow aspirated or that there might be subcutaneous emphysema or sour crop?? I am not concerned about local infection (eyes) for the moment really as I believe this is a symptom of something physiological due to the rapid deterioration/improvements. It is currently under heat and still trying to eat and drink but struggling

Vets aren’t really an option at the moment due to travel restrictions. I really believe this chick can be saved if I know what to do as it is trying so hard to follow its siblings and continue. It was thriving! Please help!

 

[suspiciousmaxwell]

Some pictures of the swelling, and of baby sleeping standing up with a heavy head, please excuse the crumb on his lil beak

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Sorry about the chick, looks like it may not make it.

It is concerning to have hatched with swollen eyes, may be some type of infection. If the eyes are shut, the chick is not able to see to get to food/water. Quail chicks are ravenous little things and drink a lot of water.

Clean the eyes with saline, get them open. If necessary use a warm compress to help with swelling and working the eyes open. Apply an ointment in the eyes like Terramycin to help with infection and keep the from sticking together.

Work on getting her hydrated, then eating.

 

[Carterborchers]

My button quail also had a tough hatch with closed eyes that look identical to your baby’s.

The yolk hadn’t fully absorbed, so I put his butt back in the shell and into a small medicine cup. His eyes were closed when he hatched. The yolk did absorb, but when I checked on him in the morning, his eyes still looked swollen shut. I dabbed them with some saline eye wash, and he was able to barely open them, but only until it dried. He’s tiny compared to the other three. I only have 3 hens, so four hatching in the same day is a little odd. Is he possibly premature? Would that cause the eyes to be shut? I don’t have ointment, and I know husband won’t let me take a button quail chick to the vet. I’m still in “trouble” for spending $600 on my egg-bound and severely calcium deficient button hen who needed critical care for a week. But she’s my favorite bird!

For now, I’m washing his eyes as best as I can with the “gentle saline eye wash,” every hour, helping him get water. I haven’t seen him eat, but he made a little turd, so I guess he must have.

I’m worried he’s blind. I’ve decided to keep him if he is…blind quail can survive if they know where their food and water are, right? I hatched the chicks for people who requested them.

All of my 6 quail have always been indoor birds annd are 7-8 months old. I’ve never had any issues with defects or problems like this with the 30 or so I’ve hatched.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My button quail also had a tough hatch with closed eyes that look identical to your baby’s.

The yolk hadn’t fully absorbed, so I put his butt back in the shell and into a small medicine cup. His eyes were closed when he hatched. The yolk did absorb, but when I checked on him in the morning, his eyes still looked swollen shut. I dabbed them with some saline eye wash, and he was able to barely open them, but only until it dried. He’s tiny compared to the other three. I only have 3 hens, so four hatching in the same day is a little odd. Is he possibly premature? Would that cause the eyes to be shut? I don’t have ointment, and I know husband won’t let me take a button quail chick to the vet. I’m still in “trouble” for spending $600 on my egg-bound and severely calcium deficient button hen who needed critical care for a week. But she’s my favorite bird!

For now, I’m washing his eyes as best as I can with the “gentle saline eye wash,” every hour, helping him get water. I haven’t seen him eat, but he made a little turd, so I guess he must have.

I’m worried he’s blind. I’ve decided to keep him if he is…blind quail can survive if they know where their food and water are, right? I hatched the chicks for people who requested them.

All of my 6 quail have always been indoor birds annd are 7-8 months old. I’ve never had any issues with defects or problems like this with the 30 or so I’ve hatched.

I'd just try to do the best you can.

Keep working at the eyes with the saline. If you don't have Terramycin ointment, you can use Original Neosporin on and in the eyes.

If you have Poultry Nutri-Drench, I'd give him 1-2drops twice a day. Getting him drinking is good, you can make a wet soupy mash with feed, see if he can eat that. Some folks give chicken chicks a little tofu with mashed boiled egg yolk, I suppose they make it into a bit of wet paste but have not tried that.

Hopefully he will pull through for you, sometimes for some reason, they fail to thrive and it can be sad, especially when you been giving extra care and attention.