Silkie chick is gaping and straining neck ?

[Eblo]

I wish I could attach a video- these are the best pics I could take. My little baby silkie seems to be straining. She stretches her neck and opens her beak every 5 seconds. She sits very upright. Her only other brooder mate is another silkie chick that isn’t doing it at all.

What could be wrong?! She is so little- and obviously hasn’t been exposed to the typical things that cause gaping.

I have given her probiotic water and grit in the food crumble. Is there anything else I can do? Thank you for any advice and ideas! She is eating and drinking.

 

[Kiki]

Do you have a thermometer in the brooder?
Are you positive it's not too hot?

You should not be offering grit mixed in with crumbled feed.
She actually shouldn't need any great whatsoever if she's only eating crumbled feed at this time.

 

[Scarlet628]

Do you have a thermometer in the brooder?
Are you positive it's not too hot?

You should not be offering grit mixed in with crumbled feed.
She actually shouldn't need any great whatsoever if she's only eating crumbled feed at this time.

If overheated, feathers will be held tight against body and wings slightly extended out
I agree about grit not being used at this time. Does it contain carbon, black charcoal.

 

[Eblo]

Do you have a thermometer in the brooder?
Are you positive it's not too hot?

You should not be offering grit mixed in with crumbled feed.
She actually shouldn't need any great whatsoever if she's only eating crumbled feed at this time.

Yup/ temp is good.

Gosh - didn’t know that about grit! I thought it would help her if it was something with digestion. I will take it out

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I wish I could attach a video

For video, upload to youtube and provide a link. The BYC upload does not work.

 

[Eblo]

For video, upload to youtube and provide a link. The BYC upload does not work.

Thank you! Okay here is a video clip from today out of the brooder. You can see she opens beak, strains, then quick beak movement like she is eating. She also occasionally shakes her head. I don’t think it’s a brooder temperature issue because she is doing it outside of the brooder too and I am sure my temp is okay. The other chick is not doing this at all. Does anyone have any new ideas since seeing video?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Have you looked inside her beak to make sure there's not a hair or something in it?

Is her crop emptying?

 

[Eblo]

Have you looked inside her beak to make sure there's not a hair or something in it?

Is her crop emptying?

Okay so I checked this- nothing in her mouth. Her crop seems empty but it’s hard to tell on her tiny body.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How is she doing?
Is she eating/drinking and pooping?

 

[Myrshine]

I agree with checking in her mouth to see her throat the best you can, as sometimes chicks swallow the wrong things and it becomes obstructed, causing chicks to have trouble breathing, coughing, head shaking and even death.

Another cause could be a respiratory irritate or infection such as Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG), in which chicks can be hatched already infected with the MG bacteria.