My chick is dull and not eating. Why isn't my baby chick active?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like your hen is very sick and needs to see a veterinarian as soon as possible. This may be due to a gastrointestinal issue or infection for example, among many other possibilities. I highly recommend you consider having her evaluated as soon as possible so that therapy can be started right away. Best of luck!

She is definitely in need of an examination by a veterinarian to assess the situation more carefully. Based on the information you've provided, it sounds like she could have some sort of upper respiratory infection, as these often can cause the eyes to crust up and shut completely. Antibiotics and anti inflammatory medication are usually the best bets for this sort of ailment. However, first things first, you'll need to have someone take a look at her to make sure there isn't a primary ocular issue going on instead. Hope this makes sense.

Thanks for reaching out about your chick and including photos. The lesions appear like vesicles and a bacterial or viral etiology would be high on the list. A veterinary visit should be scheduled to help with an assessment and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. This chick should b e separated from others because viral disease are possibly contagious to other birds. Providing heat support in the 80-85 F range can give some aid. Cleaning/dabbing the lesions with a dilute povidine/betadyne solution might help but does not replace a veterinary visit. Wash hands well after handling to prevent cross contamination. Good luck.

It sounds like your chick is very ill. Keeping it warm and forcing food and water (a mush of food mixed with water) in an eye dropper every few hours may help to get some nutrition in your chick. It is best to keep it separated from any other chicks to prevent further injury or spread of illness, and to keep contacting your vet to see if you can bring it in for additional care.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite generic but concerning presentation. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal diseases (infection/inflammations often dietary related) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. The approach must be logic, starting from offering different kind of food. A check up is needed if inappetence lasts for more than 24hours. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hello. It is very common to see reproductive disease in chickens including salpingitis & egg yolk peritonitis. If you could bring her indoors where it is a bit cooler, feed her nutritious foods such as cornbread, cooked eggs, even a bit ( not much ) of canned cat food & see if she perks up. Many of these birds are actually in quite a bit of pain, so if there is any way to have her seen by a vet, this would be best. X-rays are often taken in these cases to evaluate the internal organs or see if she is actually egg bound. There is a lot we know about chickens, but sometimes not much we can do to save them. Hope you can have her evaluated soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

You should have the chicks or parents examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian vet. A culture may identify bacteria. If you are hand feeding, use fresh food for each clutch. Clean and sanitize all equipment between feedings or clutches. Clean and sanitize all cages, bowls, toys nest boxes and perches. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Change cage paper daily. Make sure the chicks are kept warm and are emptying their crops regularly. Sour crop, or crop stasis, can result in a hard crop full of spoiled food and bacteria or fungi. This can kill young chicks if left untreated.