baby chick flopping?

[GoodEgg]

Hello all,

Got our peeps today, finally! Our first ones ever. And very excited. Haven't even had time to post yet.

Worried about one though. He wasn't doing this earlier. (Had them about 2 hours.)

He scratches with either leg ... seems to be trying to scratch his eyes or his chest. He does this frantically, and loses his balance, and flops to his back, and flops all over. I have looked and I can't see anything wrong. While I hold him he is calm and doesn't move, but when I put him down he starts again. I'm afraid he will scratch and hurt someone else, or another will hurt him, so I put him (for the moment) in the shipping box with a heating pad under one side on low. I don't know if I'm going to leave him there.

He uses both legs to scratch, and doesn't seem to be aiming for any particular spot, just his head or his front. I can't see anything at all wrong with him otherwise.

All else seems ok (except one banty that peeps LOUD all the time). All have had water with sugar and quick-chick (6 tsp and 1/2 tsp per 1/2 gal) in distilled water, and are pecking at starter/grower crumbles (the feed store is out of starter but I'm going to another store and get some later today. Temp seems ok, as they aren't huddling and are moving around. I have a 60 watt white bulb about 12" above them and a heating pad on low beneath. No a/c in the house, it's about 80 in here. Don't know what else to report. It's probably a hen chick. I think it's a black sex-link. Chicks are from Murray McMurray and I picked them up today. They may have spent a day at the post office, no one is sure.

Thanks if anyone can help. I'm wondering if there is some neurological condition that causes this? He almost seems in pain and it's hard to watch him.

Forgot to say that they were immunized for Marek's and Coccidiosis.

trish (GoodEgg)

 

[Chicken Keith]

Ok, I had a self-hatched Sebright bantam chick that did the SAME thing the other day. Acted very irritated, scratching at his face all the time, throwing a fit. I was afraid he'd eaten a pine shaving and it had gotten stuck in his throat. He still does this little tap dance with his feet as if he has those pins/needles sensation when your foot falls asleep.

My Sebright eventually worked it out, whatever it was. He's fine now. I'm inclined to say the same will happen to your bird.

Keep the vitamins/electrolyte coming. Food's not the most important thing now, but hydration is!!!! Your chicks will begin to eat tomorrow, so pls have the feed available to 'em. It's the medicated chick starter right?

While I don't personally care for the breed quality of birds McMurray sells, MM is very reputable for selling healthy birds able to cope with life, if given some owner TLC.

 

[dlhunicorn]

I am not really familiar with the product "quick chick"but this is an electrolyte I am assuming? I am concerned about yoru statement that you are using distilled water. I have always understand this to be very detrimental>to make a long story short that it is devoid of the necessary naturally occuring minerals and such and leaches our own electrolytes from the body??? Please make up a new batch of electrolytes with tap or purified water if this is important to you but I am pretty sure that the use of distilled water is detrimental.

 

[GoodEgg]

Thanks, will make new water immediately. Will have to use tap water in that case, but I don't want a whole box of chicks acting this way.

Right now I put him back in, because I'm afraid the stress of being alone will make him worse, as he cries constantly when alone, even if warmed.

They were vaccinated for Marek's and coccodiosis, so I will be using unmedicated starter.

Gotta watch that loud little banty too. She seems to have a bare rump. I don't know if it just looks that way ... a little protrusion out the back when she peeps, and she's wet in the back. Not pasted up (at least not what I would think that would look like) but wet. The others pick her sometimes because she's looking different back there, I am thinking. They pick EVERYthing right now. The banty drank water constantly after I showed it to her, about 4 or 5 times as much as anyone else before she left the waterer. Now she has a wet bottom. And she's only half the size of the others.

I hope I haven't hurt them with the water. Going to change it NOW. Thanks for the info, and I will keep checking in case anyone else has any more ideas.

Thank you!!!
trish

 

[dlhunicorn]

chicks can be brutal to the point of cannibalism and this is a real threat so my suggestion is to separate both those (they will keep each other company).

 

[GoodEgg]

Wow, so much happening so fast.

Right now there are three chicks separated. I sure hope the rest all do ok. Everyone in the main box is making what seems to be the happy peeping and all looks ok.

The one who was flopping is doing so a lot less now. Haven't seen him do it in about an hour. He developed a red patch where I think his ear is. I put antibiotic ointment on it, and made him drink water (plain) a few times. He's pecking food, running around, and lying down to sleep.

The tiny banty is acting better, but still looks bad. I'm going to look for pics of "pasting up" to see if that's part of what's wrong. His back-end is raw looking and wet, no feathers covering it, and something looks like it's poking out, almost like a very tiny worm, but I believe it's part of his body.

I have another one added in. This one I'm really afraid won't make it. He acted normally at first. At least I didn't pick him out. I think it's another banty, but larger one. His legs are VERY long, and he seemed unsteady. I pulled him because he fell into the water and might have gotten chilled. Right now he's in a sock because he flops badly too. It's like his legs are too long and he's so very unsteady. He doesn't look like he's scratching though. I've given him water, and kept him warm. He seems to sleep when I'm not doing anything to him, but he also seems to be getting weaker. The last time I gave him water he started to gasp after drinking a few drops.

Sigh ... I don't know what's going on. I don't know if the stress of shipping was too much for a few of them? I remixed the water immediately for all of them, cutting the sugar way down. And yes, quick chick is a vitamin/electrolyte mix. Right now the "sick" ones are on plain tap water, just in case.

The original "flopper" may be fine. I'm hopeful for the tiniest banty too. But that other banty (sigh) ...

I just got them today and already I'm heartsick that some might not make it. I know mortality can sometimes be expected in chicks but ...

I don't know if anyone can tell me anything else to do. I'm glad to try anything though.

Thanks all,
trish

 

[dlhunicorn]

give three drops of POLYVISOL (liquid childrens vitamins) into beak each day for a week then taper off and see if that does not help

 

[GoodEgg]

Thanks, will check into that.

The "flopper" is still flopping, but much less frequently. I thought it was the water, but it was a coincidence I guess. At least it's MUCH less frequently now, and for a shorter duration. Plus he is more co-ordinated so less likely to hurt himself. The others ignore him when he does it too, and are not picking him.

Read all I could find about prolapsed rectum too. I guess that's the Japanese banty's problem. It's not pasted ... he's pooping. Might even be a little too runny ... I'm just not experienced enough to know. But he is working on grooming himself and the feathers look more and more normal back there. I'm hoping he'll turn out ok too, and in the meantime I am trying some of the suggestions from other posts for prolapsed rectum I found in searching.

Everyone else seems fine. Hopping everywhere, running, they almost seem to fly! I'm going to have to get them into a bigger box asap I think. But everything looks just fine for the bigger bunch of them.

Thanks everyone!
trish

 

[momoftwinsinwi]

Can't wait to see the pic's Trish!!!