We have 7 bantam chicks. We bought them on Thursday, so they're about 6 days old. They've been consuming magic water and medicated chick feed.
Two of them are Silver Sebright, and are both a little smaller (and were weaker at the beginning), but one of those has been "off" since we got her. Thursday evening, my daughter thought she wasn't walking right. I put her on the counter and circled my arms around her. As I was trying to watch her walk, she hopped over my arm. Seemed fine to me!
Thursday night and Friday, I noticed she'd sleep on her side or back. Weird, but not too alarming. She was eating, drinking, walking, hopping, etc. Basically, acting pretty normal but maybe just a little sleepier than the others.
Early Saturday morning around 4:30 am, I noticed her sleeping on her back again. Except, then, one of the other chicks was awake and pecking at her feet. That would startle her and she'd try to scramble to her feet, but she couldn't quickly flip over to stand up. I watched for a while and she kept doing it (sleeping on back/being unable to get up quickly when pecked at), so I isolated her in a small box and honestly didn't expect her to make it until morning. BUT SHE DID.
On Saturday, I noticed pasty butt. It's not always blocking the vent. Sometimes, it's all around it. It's white and gooey. Whenever I clean her (washing butt under warm water), the vent tissue seems healthy but swollen. I also noticed a "lump" on her chest. It's her crop, I guess, but it's not like the other chicks. It's way to the right and visible from the back of her. It's not hard, just very noticeable. She doesn't seem to be an overeater. She feels quite thin when I feel her chest and belly.
On Monday, she started squawking every hour or so. It's like she needs to poop, but it hurts?! After some research, I gave her a warm Epsom salt bath. She pooped in the bath. It was long, stringy, green poop. She seemed relieved and her vent tissue was less swollen.
Same thing Tuesday: squawking, goo around vent, bath, green stringy poop. But, I also massaged her crop and belly. She seemed to like that, except for a couple loud squawks as if I'd hit a sore spot. However, she hated the bath and being "cuddled" after, so I put her back in the brooder and she went back to being a busy little semi-normal chick who squawks A LOT.
Anyway, my daughter & I had to go to town to run some errands. When we got home, we found this mucus stuff in the bedding. We feel certain it's from the one that's been having so much trouble. I don't know if that is "normal" mucus? Worms? It smells a bit like vomit. I think the massage and bath produced this result, even though it was several hours later. Thoughts? What else can we do for the poor thing?
Two of them are Silver Sebright, and are both a little smaller (and were weaker at the beginning), but one of those has been "off" since we got her. Thursday evening, my daughter thought she wasn't walking right. I put her on the counter and circled my arms around her. As I was trying to watch her walk, she hopped over my arm. Seemed fine to me!
Thursday night and Friday, I noticed she'd sleep on her side or back. Weird, but not too alarming. She was eating, drinking, walking, hopping, etc. Basically, acting pretty normal but maybe just a little sleepier than the others.
Early Saturday morning around 4:30 am, I noticed her sleeping on her back again. Except, then, one of the other chicks was awake and pecking at her feet. That would startle her and she'd try to scramble to her feet, but she couldn't quickly flip over to stand up. I watched for a while and she kept doing it (sleeping on back/being unable to get up quickly when pecked at), so I isolated her in a small box and honestly didn't expect her to make it until morning. BUT SHE DID.
On Saturday, I noticed pasty butt. It's not always blocking the vent. Sometimes, it's all around it. It's white and gooey. Whenever I clean her (washing butt under warm water), the vent tissue seems healthy but swollen. I also noticed a "lump" on her chest. It's her crop, I guess, but it's not like the other chicks. It's way to the right and visible from the back of her. It's not hard, just very noticeable. She doesn't seem to be an overeater. She feels quite thin when I feel her chest and belly.
On Monday, she started squawking every hour or so. It's like she needs to poop, but it hurts?! After some research, I gave her a warm Epsom salt bath. She pooped in the bath. It was long, stringy, green poop. She seemed relieved and her vent tissue was less swollen.
Same thing Tuesday: squawking, goo around vent, bath, green stringy poop. But, I also massaged her crop and belly. She seemed to like that, except for a couple loud squawks as if I'd hit a sore spot. However, she hated the bath and being "cuddled" after, so I put her back in the brooder and she went back to being a busy little semi-normal chick who squawks A LOT.
Anyway, my daughter & I had to go to town to run some errands. When we got home, we found this mucus stuff in the bedding. We feel certain it's from the one that's been having so much trouble. I don't know if that is "normal" mucus? Worms? It smells a bit like vomit. I think the massage and bath produced this result, even though it was several hours later. Thoughts? What else can we do for the poor thing?
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