Very weak and gasping chick

[Bauermeister.farm]

Hello all, I am in desperate need for some help. A few days ago I had a two-day-old Silkie chick that was very weak and sleeping all the time. I started to give her electrolytes every hour, but by the morning she had died. I was shocked and so sad since this is the first death I have had out of my 20 chicks. Then that day one of my other Silkie chicks also started acting very weak and refusing to eat or drink. She has been alive like this for about three days with little improvement. Her symptoms are: stumbling when walking, moving very slowly/very little, sleeping 24/7, not eating or drinking independently, gasping when I give her drinks, breathing heavily, being generally unresponsive when I touch her or come near. So far I have tried: electrolyte water with probiotics that I feed her every hour or more, medicated food, and separating her in a separate brooder.
Does anyone have any ideas what it could be, what more I can do to help, and how I can keep it from spreading to other chicks? Everyone else seems to be doing great and are very perky. I got all of my chicks from Wilco.
Thank you all!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

It's simply failure to thrive on the part of the one that is refusing to eat. I see it happen sometimes and don't understand why some chicks just seem stupider then others.

Your first one was probably shipping stress or genetic internal issues. Something that doesn't get nutrients absorbing and moving through the body. Once the gasping starts... total system failure is *usually* eminent... and I cull instead of letting them die slowly.

Also, I'm sure your chicks were at LEAST 2 days old when you got them from the store, as all chicks are shipped to their destination from hatcheries. They can't tell the motility issue at hatch though and these things sometimes don't become REAL obvious until the chicks yolk is finished absorbing and they start relying on their own systems.

If you accidentally miss a pasty butt, it will cause the same symptoms and results as what you are seeing.

Sometimes I will crush the feed a little extra for fresh chicks, it does seem to help. Silkies are often, not my brightest chicks.

If there was any way to get a refund for the passed ones that's what I would do. Since they came from the feed store/hatchery... disease really should not be a problem or concern. I truly believe with MY experience that it is hatch complications... it's why I don't let my own chicks go to new home until I see everyone eating, drinking, POOING, and I'm sure they are going to thrive. Like you said, you were shocked and sad and I don't want people just starting out to feel that or to worry about disease that isn't present. Hope this helps.

And hope the rest of your babes thrive!