VIDEO, please help! Respiratory obstruction in baby chick?

[chickmamat]

Here is the link to the video. You can hear her exhale sounds sounds blocked or labored.

She is acting, eating and drinking fine. She’s been doing this for a few days. Not constantly but pretty frequently. I notice it especially when she’s drinking. She is growing much slower than my other chick.

Is this an infection? Or an obstruction? I’m not sure what to do. I got some tetracycline today. But have not given her an yet.

I already lost one little chick and I don’t want to lose another

 

[azygous]

Go ahead and treat her with the antibiotic. Do the full course. If she's still got the wheeze after that, you will know it's likely a genetic defect.

Chicks sometimes hatch with partially developed organs. This can lead to inefficient absorption of nutrients and calories, resulting in poor growth.

 

[chickmamat]

Go ahead and treat her with the antibiotic. Do the full course. If she's still got the wheeze after that, you will know it's likely a genetic defect.

Chicks sometimes hatch with partially developed organs. This can lead to inefficient absorption of nutrients and calories, resulting in poor growth.

Thank you so much for responding!

The antibiotic I bought only had dosage for a full size bird. Do you have any recs for how to cut it back? Or know if any online sources?

 

[azygous]

Not knowing what form your tetracycline is, I can't help you, but this old thread has a thorough discussion of how to convert the dosages to a baby chick's needs. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...nvert-a-dosage-of-tetracycline-anyone.633075/ Hopefully it can help you to figure it out.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post some photos of the Tetracycline package you have?

If you have any of these pictured in the link below, they go in the water so the dosage for chicks and adults would be the same. It's all dependent on how much the individual chicken drinks during the day. Also you will only want to treat this one particular chick, so she will need to be separated if you are planning on giving her the Tetracycline. The other chicks do not need it.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/oxytetracyline-and-tetracycline-powder-doses.1022878/

 

[chickmamat]

Can you post some photos of the Tetracycline package you have?

If you have any of these pictured in the link below, they go in the water so the dosage for chicks and adults would be the same. It's all dependent on how much the individual chicken drinks during the day. Also you will only want to treat this one particular chick, so she will need to be separated if you are planning on giving her the Tetracycline. The other chicks do not need it.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/oxytetracyline-and-tetracycline-powder-doses.1022878/

I was just coming on here to ask if I have to separate them.

I tried and they are going to hurt themselves trying to get out and find each other. It’s just been the two of them from day one and they are literally joined at the hip. They are pretty much touching at all times. Eat, sleep, play, roost, run, all side by side all day long. The weezing one was flying full strength with her head into the chicken wire top I had on her brooder trying to get out and find the other.

I was thinking, if it is an infection, the other one has been exposed and will mostly likely get it as well? So maybe I should just keep them together?

My Tetracycline is (1) 250mg capsule per 1 adult chicken, dissolved in 8oz of water. I figured it to be about 25mg/lb (assuming the dosage is based on a 10lb chicken?) My chick weighs 5.2oz, so her dosage would be 1/33 of the capsule. I divided it into tenths, then one of those into thirds, added 1/3 to 8oz of water.

So my dosage is way off then? Just do the whole capsule? I was worried it’d be too much because she’s so tiny.

 

[chickmamat]

My tetracycline is none of the ones pictured.

 

[azygous]

I would keep both chicks together as you've decided to do. Treat both. As long as you're dissolving it in water, just use one capsule in a quart of water each day for the duration of treatment. They should get a decent dose drinking their normal amount of water each day. Any excess they get should just be eliminated through urates.

 

[chickmamat]

I would keep both chicks together as you've decided to do. Treat both. As long as you're dissolving it in water, just use one capsule in a quart of water each day for the duration of treatment. They should get a decent dose drinking their normal amount of water each day. Any excess they get should just be eliminated through urates.

Thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would keep both chicks together as you've decided to do. Treat both. As long as you're dissolving it in water, just use one capsule in a quart of water each day for the duration of treatment. They should get a decent dose drinking their normal amount of water each day. Any excess they get should just be eliminated through urates.

Agreed