Vent blocked.

[Sylviaanne]

I was in looking at my babies in the brooder when I noticed one of my 3 day old chicks was acting funny. I picked it up and looked it over. It's vent was blocked so I washed it's little bum until it was clean. Dried it off with a paper towel and put it back under the heat lamp. It seems to be acting worse now than it did before, it can walk but it is standing, leaning against one of the veggie cans I have holding up the heat lamp. How long until it feels better? Is there something else I can do for it? Sylvia

 

[chixmaidservice]

I'm too new to be an expert, but your chick has pasty butt and I think it is caused by lack of water in the first days. Try dipping your chicks beak gently in the water several times. The lack of coordination sounds like dehydration. Good luck.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you have any SaveAChick, Pedialyte, or other electrolytes, give it some by dipping it's beak repeatedly then letting it swallow. Do this as often as you can over the next few hours. Take a Q-tip and any kind of vegetable oil or lubricant, and try to open the vent gently, just to make sure that it is clear, and this may stimulate it to poop. After hydrating, you can also wet a tiny bit of chick feed with the electrolyte solution, and see if it will eat. Placing some dry chick crumbles on the floor of the brooder on a paper towel may entice it to eat. Check your brooder temperature with a thermometer to make sure that the temperature is about 90-95 F, and no higher, but also make sure it can get to a cooler spot in the brooder. Reduce temperature by 5 degrees weekly. Pasty vent can occur from shipping stress, getting too hot too cold, or from dehydration. Good luck, and I hope she turns around.

 

[enola]

You have your heat lamp held up by cans?

 

[Sylviaanne]

Yes, they don't spend much time under it and it's in the corner of the room where it can't be bumped and knocked down.

 

[enola]

What kind of heat lamp is it?

 

[Sylviaanne]

What kind of heat lamp is it?

I got this image when I googled "heat lamp". My heat lamps look very similar to this one. Mine is a little deeper and the edges are rolled not flat.

 

[Sylviaanne]

Ok, I posted on the forum for sick chickens and gotten no answer even though there are over 100 people viewing. I have repeatedly gone in to check and dipped it's beak in the water. It never drinks and it's crop feels totally empty.

This chick is going to die tonight if I don't do something. Can I use a diabetic syringe, .50ml (no needle), to feed it sugar water?

Is there anything I can do to try to save this little thing?

 

[TiffanyKim]

I used a baby syringe to nurse my polish back to health.. Squeeze a drop onto the tip and touch it to the beak it should automatically swallow.. Be very careful if you put it in its mouth can go down into lungs....I did this with water,and poultry vitamins took a few days... But mine pulled through...hope yours feels better soon..

 

[enola]

I think the chick is suffering from the condition called 'failure to thrive'. There is something wrong internally. He has no drive to eat or drink.

Don't give up on him, just prepare yourself for him to pass away. Sorry