Urgent: Ruptured air sac not healing

[Magpie]

You guys! I can’t believe it, she’s finally getting better!!!
I redid her wrappings tonight and she didn’t instantly re-inflate! I remember watching her visibly grow with every chirp when I’d drain the air before but I took her wrap off and left her to preen for a bit while I used the old wrap as a pattern for the new one, and when I was ready to deflate and rewrap her, she looked the same size as before!
She was so deflated that I needed to wrap her before draining the air so it would be pushed to one spot. The skin was too loose for the needle!

I’m so happy she’s getting better, I’m on the verge of tears trying to type this.

I’m going to keep wrapping her until I’m sure she doesn’t need it anymore but this is the first sign of any improvement so I don’t need to feel like she could suddenly crash anymore!

First picture of her in forever without inflation or a jumpsuit!
This is her wrap before it goes on. I think I’ll draw a diagram tomorrow to show how the whole thing works.

Thank you all so much. This is the only forum that I’ve reached out on that had people who consistently replied and tried to help. It looks like I was going in the right direction this whole time with her treatment but it has been a huge weight off my shoulders just knowing that people were here to help if I wasn’t.

 

[Magpie]

You sent me down a rabbit hole
Unless I did it wrong I believe all babies would be blue. Without me looking into it deeper mille fleur is likely something recessive.
View attachment 428982
Your baby is just precious, I hope you have success in getting her all better

Genetics rabbit holes are some of the best! I love this stuff.
Please tell me that’s a site that helps you figure out this stuff. If not, someone needs to make a chicken genetics calculator.

 

[AussieBird]

You guys! I can’t believe it, she’s finally getting better!!!
I redid her wrappings tonight and she didn’t instantly re-inflate! I remember watching her visibly grow with every chirp when I’d drain the air before but I took her wrap off and left her to preen for a bit while I used the old wrap as a pattern for the new one, and when I was ready to deflate and rewrap her, she looked the same size as before!
She was so deflated that I needed to wrap her before draining the air so it would be pushed to one spot. The skin was too loose for the needle!

I’m so happy she’s getting better, I’m on the verge of tears trying to type this.

I’m going to keep wrapping her until I’m sure she doesn’t need it anymore but this is the first sign of any improvement so I don’t need to feel like she could suddenly crash anymore!

View attachment 429015 First picture of her in forever without inflation or a jumpsuit!
View attachment 429014 This is her wrap before it goes on. I think I’ll draw a diagram tomorrow to show how the whole thing works.

Thank you all so much. This is the only forum that I’ve reached out on that had people who consistently replied and tried to help. It looks like I was going in the right direction this whole time with her treatment but it has been a huge weight off my shoulders just knowing that people were here to help if I wasn’t.

That is a fantastic update

Genetics rabbit holes are some of the best! I love this stuff.
Please tell me that’s a site that helps you figure out this stuff. If not, someone needs to make a chicken genetics calculator.

It is a chicken genetics calculator! It just takes a bit to learn how to understand it, I only understand maybe 50% of how to use it.
This is the one I used above because it allows you to enter breed and then adjust the colour from there instead of me having to try and manually input all the genetics

Cross Breeds of Chickens

 

[Magpie]

So cute!

It is usual to need to add a bit of water to chick starter when they are new to the world, usually for 5 days sometimes longer so bantams. It important thing is frequently changing the feed.

Also you didn't accidentally target train her don't worry. Chicks are naturally attracted to pointing because that is how their mum shows them what to eat/drink. It is good practice to point out new feed to babies chickens so they learn where it is.

I adore that she has mum.

I haven’t hatched my own chicks before and I’m still pretty new to chickens in general so she honestly just got scrabbled eggs the first day. She honestly needed the food to be a powder even mixed with water for a while, she was so small. Mom couldn’t eat the crushed food though so I added pellets on top for her, baby just thought they were in the way so she’d just stand in the dish and do the tiniest chicken scratch dance you’ve ever seen until all the pellets were gone and she could eat her crushed crumble.

Also I swear it isn’t just pointing. She’ll be all cosied up in mom’s armpit with just her head out, she won’t move much if I point at just the food but when she sees this black measuring spoon… BAM! She is out of bed and standing at attention! Then I can point out the food and she’ll rush over and eat it. I tested it without showing her the spoon, it’s a very different reaction.

 

[Magpie]

I adore that she has mum.

It’s actually even better than that. She’s the only chick of four to hatch out and her foster mom is a hatchery rescue. People all across my province probably bought this mama’s babies while she lived in awful conditions. They got rid of their year old hens so I scooped her and four others up. Now she finally gets to raise a baby and she looks so happy.
Also I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m the dad. She was doing some pretty suggestive things when I was petting her once. I stopped when she shifted and I almost touched her vent. I thought she was just enjoying the pets initially but she started obsessively following me after that and I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m a very nice rooster, though a little tall for her.
“Take me”
Species aside, I don’t even have the parts you crazy nugget!

 

[Zara]

Such a beautiful picture

So happy to hear your chick is getting better!

 

[fashionfobie]

Lovely updates. Fingers crossed good new keeps coming in.

P.s. if you have nothing else on hand egg food (via scrambled egg) is an appropriate option for short term feed. You are doing. Great job giving mum and baby support.

 

[tka]

I don't have any help or advice, but I've been following your posts and I'm delighted that your little chick is heading in the right direction! Fingers crossed that she continues to improve.

I also love that you gave her mum a home and let her raise a baby <3

 

[April]

It’s actually even better than that. She’s the only chick of four to hatch out and her foster mom is a hatchery rescue. People all across my province probably bought this mama’s babies while she lived in awful conditions. They got rid of their year old hens so I scooped her and four others up. Now she finally gets to raise a baby and she looks so happy.
View attachment 429022 Also I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m the dad. She was doing some pretty suggestive things when I was petting her once. I stopped when she shifted and I almost touched her vent. I thought she was just enjoying the pets initially but she started obsessively following me after that and I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m a very nice rooster, though a little tall for her.
View attachment 429020 “Take me”
Species aside, I don’t even have the parts you crazy nugget!

Such an amazing update ! I'm so glad she's improving. And that pic of her with her momma is just such a wonderful heartwarming moment

 

[Phocyn]

I hope the chick is doing well. I have a ton of stuff I’m doing so please excuse my delay in response. How is she doing today? And can you share a little of what her overall diet is? I read
You feed lots of treats? And what brand of chicken feed? I’m always curious and wanting to share information on poultry.

 

[Magpie]

She’s doing great everyone! I took her wrap off a couple days ago and she’s staying the same size, no inflating, no loose skin. She looks like a normal baby now! Or at least as normal as an awkward teenage chick can look.
She’s five weeks now. I’m so proud of my little nugget!
Just look at her and Mom with matching side-eye!

And can you share a little of what her overall diet is? I read
You feed lots of treats? And what brand of chicken feed? I’m always curious and wanting to share information on poultry.

We live in Alberta Canada and have been feeding “Hi-Pro” 21% poultry starter from Peavy Mart.
As for treats, they get bean sprouts regularly, grapes and watermelon occasionally, and sometimes leftovers without any garlic or onion. Mama Minnie’s favourite treat is bread so her and Angel get burger buns, stale bread, old pasta, and other bready leftovers. Not tons, we try to keep things balanced, but they get a lot of variety.
I like to add herbs to their food too, they really love cayenne pepper flakes, they pick them out first thing.

 

[fashionfobie]

@Magpie I gave my hens some crunched raw nuts the other day and they were very excited. I had never thought of giving nuts before, but had some scrap walnuts from the parrots and gave it a try. They made many the happy food cluck. Cheerio even picked it and dropped it as they do when sharing with chicks, she was so excited about it.

Anyway, just another treat idea.

 

[Pixiebeak]

Congratulations! What a pretty baby ! And the pictures with mom are just too precious!

 

[Magpie]

She’s still doing great. Becoming a real troublemaker, stealing my food, and sleeping where she’s not supposed to.

Jumped on my chopsticks and picked them clean when I was able to keep the bowl away from her.

Sleeping with mom in the kitchen island on the clean mop heads.

She might have a little area by her bum that is still affected by the rupture but it’s very small and too close to a lot of essential stuff back there for me to feel comfortable putting a needle anywhere near it. It looks to actively inflate and fully deflate with every breath and is only about the size of my pinky nail.

If it still persists until she’s fully feathered, I plan on taking her to my exotic avian vet. My cockatiel had to see him recently (all fine now), I showed him pictures of her and his immediate response was “Oh yeah, that’s a really big tear. A needle wouldn’t be able to fix that.”. So he’s going to be my go-to for chicks from now on, I think my farm vet just doesn’t see as many birds, much less baby birds.

This is the best shot I was able to get because she’s so wiggly and feathers cover it now.

Here’s a nice shot of her from today. She has some white neck and toe feathers coming in.