Not everything about hand raising birds is fun and games. Sometimes the chicks can get sick – but thankfully we have 4 vets on staff that we can count on to help us out when it happens.
Chick 6 (or “Green Head” as we marked him) is a little bit of a bully. It was one that had to be kept in a brooder alone (but still next to all the other chicks) because every time we would put them all together, 6 would chase around and bite the other ones. Until one day about 2 weeks ago….
We weigh the chicks every morning and every evening to make sure they are growing well. Also, we carefully monitor their hydration and food intake. About 2 weeks ago, Chick 6 was not gaining as much weight as everyone else and the chick’s appetite seemed to decrease. About a day after we started really watching 6, we noticed that he (or she) sneezed a lot — but was otherwise active and lively.
The next morning was a completely different story! When the keepers came in, Chick 6 was coughing and sneezing constantly, and having a really, really hard time breathing. We called the vets immediately.
Without delay, Chick 6 was moved to our vet clinic. It seemed it was pneumonia. The vet staff placed it in a special holding area where it could receive oxygen constantly and be nebulized 4 times a day.
The little guy in a nebulizing chamber
The chick was still having trouble breathing, so the vets put in a “air sac canula.” This is basically a tube that is put into the air sac (on the side of the body) that allows the chick to breathe easier — a little like a person getting a tracheotomy. This helped Chick 6 a lot! He was able to breathe a lot more and not be so stressed.
After a week of treatment (both oral antibiotics, anti-fungal medication and aerosolized medication for the chick’s lung), Chick 6 was able to be move to a holding area with out the oxygen.
The chick in it's holding cage
Just like the other chicks, Chick 6 got it’s exercise by running around to keep it’s strength up.
As it got better, Chick 6 got more strength and was able to play for longer periods at a time.
On Friday, August 13, Chick 6 was returned to the department to live with the 7 other flamingo chicks. Yay! He still has to be kept separated from the other chicks – but now it’s just because he’s still a little bit of a bully!!
The now-healthy chick, with Dr. Lauren Howard and Dr. Maryanne Tocidlowski
