Weak baby chick making clicking sounds

[Juju2773]

Please tell me what I should do. My baby chick has been weak the past two days. She just wobbles around because her legs are so weak. And sits alone under the brooder without going to the food or water. I have been feeding her water and yolk with a dropper for two days, a tiny bit about every hour or so. She has perked up, even pecking a little at the crumble, she’ll stand up wobbly in place. But her legs seem so weak. I feel she’s having trouble breathing. She’s smaller than the others that are the same age. I’ve lost two from this batch so far. They just get weak and die. I did not resort to the dropper feeding until this one. But today she’s been opening her beak and making like a clicking sound, almost like she’s having trouble breathing. I tried to attach a video, but it will only let me add photos. Please if anyone knows what I should do?

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Is she excessively sleepy or just doesn't move much? Or both? Are feces normal? Age?

 

[Juju2773]

She seems very sleepy, legs are very weak. Her poop is normal and she doesn’t have pasty butt. I would think after almost two days of dropper feedings she would begin to walk around now. She only stands up when I pull her out to dropper feed her. As soon as I place her back in she wobbles under the brooder plate and just sleeps. Doesn’t move around

 

[HeatherKellyB]

How old is this chick? You have to be very careful administering fluids, especially to a chick. How do the poops look?

 

[Juju2773]

She’s only about 4 or 5 days old. Her poop seems normal, green with white on top, but I suppose the with part is a bit slimy maybe

 

[HeatherKellyB]

To add a video, you'll need to upload it to YouTube or another similar platform and then add the link to your reply.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

This sounds like it could be (Poultry) Omphalitis. A chick from my brood this year had it and was always sluggish, sleeping 24/7 unless I picked her up and forced her/guided her to eat and drink. I got her on a weekend and she was fine while I was there to always make sure she ate and drank, but once Monday came and I was gone for 8 hours, she died that night because she hadn't been eating or drinking while I was gone but then became too weak to eat or drink once I returned. The biggest symptom was that she slept, and slept, and slept, only getting up and being excited or acting normal--but slow--after I made her/made sure she ate and drank.

Where did you get her?

Have any others been affected/showed symptoms? Come from the same place?

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Poultry omphalitis is a bit formal though. Most people call it Mushy Chick Disease.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

You may want to offer her some sugar water or Nutri drench. Maybe she just needs a boost to get her over this post hatch slump that can happen. Sadly, some chicks just don't thrive and that's incredibly heartbreaking. Hopefully your chick just needs a "jumpstart"

 

[Juju2773]

This sounds like it could be (Poultry) Omphalitis. A chick from my brood this year had it and was always sluggish, sleeping 24/7 unless I picked her up and forced her/guided her to eat and drink. I got her on a weekend and she was fine while I was there to always make sure she ate and drank, but once Monday came and I was gone for 8 hours, she died that night because she hadn't been eating or drinking while I was gone but then became too weak to eat or drink once I returned. The biggest symptom was that she slept, and slept, and slept, only getting up and being excited or acting normal--but slow--after I made her/made sure she ate and drank.

Where did you get her?

Have any others been affected/showed symptoms? Come from the same place?

I ordered them from Meyer hatchery. I’ve lost two before her. It took 3 days to get here and they were all weak when I got them. One died the next morning and the other the day after. They were just too weak. This one seemed fine, she’s tiny, but was up walking around before and eating and normal. But I noticed she stopped going out and only sleeps in one spot. That’s when I started dropper feeding her. She actually drinks water and a little food when I pull her out, but that’s the only time she’ll eat or drink or move at all.