One Week Old Chick Not Doing Well

[Hannah15]

I have two chicks of the same breed that hatched one week ago. One of them is doing great, growing, feathering, running, jumping, and playing. The other one is not. It eats and drinks, but it is not growing (it is about half the size of the other one now). Two nights ago, I felt it's crop and it was big and squishy. So I massaged it, and by morning it had emptied. The chick seems somewhat weak (it is standing, but is not as agile as the other one), and oddly, even though it is eating, I never feel any food in its crop. I have only felt small amounts of something squishy (except the one time), which I have been massaging several times a day. It also spends most of the time it isn't eating or sleeping peeping, like it isn't feeling well. Right now, I have added Corid (on the off chance it is coccidia) and terramycin to the water. The terramycin has been in since the night when I found the squishy crop, and the Corid has been in since yesterday. There has not been any improvement at this point, although it has not really gotten worse either. I have also tried feeding scrambled eggs to them, but none of my chicks seem all that cracked up about them. I feel as though if something doesn't make an improvement in the next day or two this chick will be beyond saving. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[Hannah15]

Anyone?

 

[GuineaFowling]

I don't know what your chick has but to get it to drink I would suggest dipping his beak in the water. To feed him get some yogurt and mix it with a small amount of food. The chicks see it as a treat but the yogurt will wash out their system and is a good source of Probiotics. Also some chicks grow slower than others. I had two leghorn twins and one was always smaller than the other even into adulthood. As of the squishy crop my guinea keet had one and it was because of a ruptured air sac. If the crop becomes squishy put it near a source of light. If you can see through it and if its filled with air than its probably a ruptured air sac. If its filled with liquid then I don't know. If it is a ruptured air sac you just have to make sure to drain it and feed the chick soft food.

 

[Hannah15]

Thank you for the response. I am dipping it's beak in the water every time I go in there. It does drink on its own some too, but since it is so weak I am not sure that it is drinking enough (hence dipping its beak in the water). I completely forgot to get yogurt today so I will have to get it tomorrow, but the chick HAS been eating chick starter. I never feel any in its crop though, although I have seen it eat pieces. I'm sure there is something REALLY wrong with this chick, but I can't determine what it is. Especially since the other one has no issues. I will check it's crop. I may run it to the vet tomorrow as well, but since he is not an avian vet and doesn't do much with birds (none around here either), I'm not sure he can tell me anything I'm not already trying. Thanks for your help.