Sick 4 day old chick help!

[Babychicknewbie1]

I received 4 chicks in the mail on the 14th. Hatched the 12th. They were all healthy and fine until this afternoon I notice one seems lethargic. She’s not moving much. She did have a little pasty butt along with one other chick on the first day but I’ve been cleaning the ones that needed it every day and I’ve only had to clean her twice. I’ve started apple cider vinegar water today like I was instructed by the hatchery. She had some sticky white poop on her today but she’s been cleaned and it wasn’t much at all. The only other thing I’ve noticed is a hard spot where the umbilical cord was but I thought that was the normal scab but I’m not sure. I haven’t had any sick chicks before so I have no clue what else I can do to help her. I boiled eggs to try to feed her egg yolk but she doesn’t seem awake enough to try to feed her. I’m worried I’ll hurt her more than help if I try to feed her. She took a few sips of vinegar water from my finger and that’s it. Please help!!

 

[SmiYa0126]

Can you post pictures of her navel? Can you get coconut oil into her?

 

[Babychicknewbie1]

Can you post pictures of her navel? Can you get coconut oil into her?

Thanks for trying but she passed away. Now I’m worried about the other chicks. I’m not sure what happened. She was the smallest of the 4 but the others seems to still be doing ok. I guess I will keep an eye on the others and come back to update here if anything changes.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Thanks for trying but she passed away. Now I’m worried about the other chicks. I’m not sure what happened. She was the smallest of the 4 but the others seems to still be doing ok. I guess I will keep an eye on the others and come back to update here if anything changes.

I'm so sorry, heart wrenching! Sending warm hugs .

How are the others?

 

[Babychicknewbie1]

I'm so sorry, heart wrenching! Sending warm hugs .

How are the others?

The others are all still doing well. Just a little pasty butt on one or two of them but they are on apple cider water and cleaning every day. Keeping my fingers crossed

 

[GlicksChicks]

I have lost multiple chicks this way. I was scared it was the genetics of my buckeyes, but there have been multiple people on here with the same thing. I also had 2 die that way from TSC.

Keep an eye on the ones with pasty butt, I have found that it is the first sign of them getting sick that way. The chicks can suddenly get sick and die a couple hours later. Also watch for any chicks that are stumbling and falling with trouble to get up, that also seems to be an early sign.

You said that chick was smaller, so were the ones who died with mine. Did yours still have the egg tooth? The ones that died with mine still had it's egg tooth while the others had lost theirs.

Unfortunately I have not found any way to help them live when that happens. I have tried vitamins, electrolytes, protein, ACV. Nothing works.

If you want to make them not die as soon, the electrolytes and vitamins keep them going for a couple more hours. Unfortunately they will give you hope that they are getting better and then things turn for the worse. That happens over and over again until the turning for the worst ends up with a dead chick.

Good news is, it is not contagious whatever it is. After the chicks are a week or so old, you are in the clear of whatever this is. All the chicks I have lost were around 4 days old when they got sick.

 

[Babychicknewbie1]

I have lost multiple chicks this way. I was scared it was the genetics of my buckeyes, but there have been multiple people on here with the same thing. I also had 2 die that way from TSC.

Keep an eye on the ones with pasty butt, I have found that it is the first sign of them getting sick that way. The chicks can suddenly get sick and die a couple hours later. Also watch for any chicks that are stumbling and falling with trouble to get up, that also seems to be an early sign.

You said that chick was smaller, so were the ones who died with mine. Did yours still have the egg tooth? The ones that died with mine still had it's egg tooth while the others had lost theirs.

Unfortunately I have not found any way to help them live when that happens. I have tried vitamins, electrolytes, protein, ACV. Nothing works.

If you want to make them not die as soon, the electrolytes and vitamins keep them going for a couple more hours. Unfortunately they will give you hope that they are getting better and then things turn for the worse. That happens over and over again until the turning for the worst ends up with a dead chick.

Good news is, it is not contagious whatever it is. After the chicks are a week or so old, you are in the clear of whatever this is. All the chicks I have lost were around 4 days old when they got sick.

Thank you this is very helpful! And yes the one that died did have a piece of egg attached to it when I cleaned it as soon as I took it out the box. I’m assuming this is the egg tooth? The rest didn’t have that piece of egg shell still stuck to it like she did. She did have trouble getting up the day before just like you said!! This makes me have hope for the rest. The rest are lively and still moving around well. They are now 7 days old. I gave them electrolytes and probiotics day before yesterday. Should I give them this every day or how often? I’ve also given a little boiled egg yolk. How often is it safe to give them egg yolk?

 

[GlicksChicks]

Thank you this is very helpful! And yes the one that died did have a piece of egg attached to it when I cleaned it as soon as I took it out the box. I’m assuming this is the egg tooth? The rest didn’t have that piece of egg shell still stuck to it like she did. She did have trouble getting up the day before just like you said!! This makes me have hope for the rest. The rest are lively and still moving around well. They are now 7 days old. I gave them electrolytes and probiotics day before yesterday. Should I give them this every day or how often? I’ve also given a little boiled egg yolk. How often is it safe to give them egg yolk?

Healthy chickens do not need electrolytes. If you give them too much the effects may become less. Mostly give chickens electrolytes when some of them are sick and/or if they are too hot.

Probiotics are good to give everyday in small doses to give them better overall inside health to prevent any illnesses.

There are no specifications on how often to give chicks egg yolk. It is more of how often you want to use eggs to feed them the yolks. There are no downsides to feeding them cooked egg yolks. It is good for them.

The egg tooth is a little white spot on the tip of their beak that they use to break out of their egg. I will attach a picture of an egg tooth. Did your chick still have that cap on it's beak?

 

[Babychicknewbie1]

Healthy chickens do not need electrolytes. If you give them too much the effects may become less. Mostly give chickens electrolytes when some of them are sick and/or if they are too hot.

Probiotics are good to give everyday in small doses to give them better overall inside health to prevent any illnesses.

There are no specifications on how often to give chicks egg yolk. It is more of how often you want to use eggs to feed them the yolks. There are no downsides to feeding them cooked egg yolks. It is good for them.

The egg tooth is a little white spot on the tip of their beak that they use to break out of their egg. I will attach a picture of an egg tooth. Did your chick still have that cap on it's beak?

Yep she sure did still have that! I didn’t know what that was. At first I thought it was poop but indeed it was her egg tooth. I’m running to check the other babies now…

Healthy chickens do not need electrolytes. If you give them too much the effects may become less. Mostly give chickens electrolytes when some of them are sick and/or if they are too hot.

Probiotics are good to give everyday in small doses to give them better overall inside health to prevent any illnesses.

There are no specifications on how often to give chicks egg yolk. It is more of how often you want to use eggs to feed them the yolks. There are no downsides to feeding them cooked egg yolks. It is good for them.

The egg tooth is a little white spot on the tip of their beak that they use to break out of their egg. I will attach a picture of an egg tooth. Did your chick still have that cap on it's beak?

I just ran and checked the rest of the babies and none of the other have that!! They are all still doing good and are feisty!! Thank you so much for the help!! Here’s a picture so show how dang cute they all are! Splash amerucana

 

[GlicksChicks]

Yep she sure did still have that! I didn’t know what that was. At first I thought it was poop but indeed it was her egg tooth. I’m running to check the other babies now…

I just ran and checked the rest of the babies and none of the other have that!! They are all still doing good and are feisty!! Thank you so much for the help!! Here’s a picture so show how dang cute they all are! Splash amerucana

They are so precious! They look to all be growing well, so you should be in the clear! I love baby chicks!!