Newborn Chick Struggling to Breathe... Help!

[SierraJuliet]

We have a batch of chicks that have been hatching under the hen for a few days. This is the first time we have hatched eggs naturally. One of the eggs hatched last night and the chick has mucus coming out of its mouth and it is struggling to breathe. We removed it from the brooding pen and have been keeping it with us for the last few hours in case it's something contagious, but no change has occurred and I have spent hours searching for similar symptoms on the internet to no avail. The chick is approximately 23 hours old at this point- is there anything that we can do?

 

[mustangrooster]

We have a batch of chicks that have been hatching under the hen for a few days. This is the first time we have hatched eggs naturally. One of the eggs hatched last night and the chick has mucus coming out of its mouth and it is struggling to breathe. We removed it from the brooding pen and have been keeping it with us for the last few hours in case it's something contagious, but no change has occurred and I have spent hours searching for similar symptoms on the internet to no avail. The chick is approximately 23 hours old at this point- is there anything that we can do?

Oh, no.

I had a chick hatch in the incubator that was like that; struggling to breathe, some weird mucus coming out of its mouth, and a very very sticky chick. I don't know how it happened or what caused it, as all the others were fine.

I tried with a lot of effort to save it, but the little fella died.

Hm, is your chick sticky?

 

[Dozclan12]

Good question about it being sticky. If there was a lot of thick sticky stuff in the shell, and the chick pipped where there was a lot, it could have inhaled some of the thick goo. I haven't ever seen this, just the thick goo. I've had chicks already be dead in shell because it had pipped in the the thick of this stuff, but of course didn't see anything like that because it had already passed. Let's hope your chick will be able to get rid of that, and be ok!

 

[Duluthralphie]

We have a batch of chicks that have been hatching under the hen for a few days. This is the first time we have hatched eggs naturally. One of the eggs hatched last night and the chick has mucus coming out of its mouth and it is struggling to breathe. We removed it from the brooding pen and have been keeping it with us for the last few hours in case it's something contagious, but no change has occurred and I have spent hours searching for similar symptoms on the internet to no avail. The chick is approximately 23 hours old at this point- is there anything that we can do?

You own eggs or eggs from somewhere else?

 

[SierraJuliet]

It is not sticky. The shell was pretty red on the inside when it hatched compared to the others though. They are my own eggs- Serama Silkie crosses.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Do you have a baby bulb syringe? You can try suctioning the mucous out of its airway.

 

[Southern by choice]

Sounds like MG to me. Were the eggs treated proir to incubation and is you bator cleaned and disinfected between hatches?

 

[Dozclan12]

Eggs were hatched from under a hen.

 

[Southern by choice]

Still could be MG most respiratory from hatched chicks is. Usually though there would be more than one chick with the issue.

 

[Dozclan12]

True..also thought of this..it could have hit a big ol blood vessel..but then, I guess the mucous would be more reddish.

While I'm here..can anyone tell me how to start a new thread?? I am probably staring it in the face on here...but....can't figure it out. :/