What to Do If Your Chick Is Born & Has Trouble Eating & Breathing?

Baby birds of all types, including chickens, are susceptible to a range of health problems. If your newly hatched chick is having trouble breathing and eating, it's important to quickly discover what the problem is so that you'll know how best to treat it.

  1. Avian Influenza

    • Several avian diseases can affect birds of any age. One of these is avian influenza, which can be passed by infected objects. Symptoms of avian influenza include loss of appetite, listlessness and difficulty breathing. The best way to treat avian influenza is to administer antibiotics.

    Infectious Bronchitis

    • Infectious bronchitis can be spread to the chick or egg from infected materials or through the air. Symptoms of this disease include labored breathing, nostril discharge and decrease in food and water intake. There's no real treatment for this disease. The best way to treat it is to have your chickens vaccinated before they can catch it.

    Impacted Crop

    • Occasionally, when small chickens eat things such as large pieces of grain or grass, a condition called impacted crop can occur. This hard mass in the chick's throat causes the bird to stop eating and possibly have trouble breathing. The best way to treat this is to take your chick to the vet and have the obstruction removed.