Vomiting is not a good sign in humans nor is it a good sign in chicks, in fact, a chick vomiting will likely concern any chick raiser.
This article is a look into why your baby chick may be vomiting
Table of Contents
Baby chick vomiting:
Vomiting is usually a sign that the person, or animal, who is vomiting is very sick.
Here is what you need to know if your baby bird is vomiting:
It’s just water:
If the bird is alone, and just drank some water, then the bird may be vomiting the water it just drank.
Young baby birds don’t really know how their bodies work, they may be thirsty, drink some water but drink too much, and “vomit” out some water.
However, the birds aren’t vomiting per se.
When birds drink they collect water into their mouth and throw their head back to let the water run down their throats.
If the bird took too much water into its mouth, and not all the water fell down its throat, then the water that is leftover in its beak will come out and this will look like the bird is vomiting.
What to do:
If only water comes out of the bird’s mouth, and no food comes out in the “vomit”, then the bird will be fine.
Keep an eye on your chick to make sure that the bird doesn’t start to show signs of distress.
If you see signs of distress then take the bird to the vet
The bird is aspirating:
If the bird is spitting up food, as you’re feeding it, then the bird may be aspirating.
Aspirating in chicks is more common when someone is hand-feeding the birds.
If the bird’s food accidentally falls into the bird’s windpipe, rather than the bird’s throat, then aspiration can happen.
Aspirating is so common because the bird’s trachea is under the bird’s tongue, and not at the back of their throats like a human trachea.
Because of the location of the windpipe, it is easy for a human to accidentally pour food into the bird’s windpipe, and not the throat, when hand feeding.
If the trachea is not closed off, and food gets into the trachea then the bird may aspirate.
An aspirating chick will sputter and shake its head. Food will fly out of the bird’s mouth and this may look like the bird is vomiting.
What to do:
This is a very delicate, and dangerous, situation for your bird to be in, because of this, veterinary care is a must for your aspirating bird.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Does My Chick Look Like It’s Gasping For Air?, What To Do If A Chick Is Gasping For Air, 2 Day Old Chick Gasping, Chick Gasping And Chirping, Chick Gasping After Drinking, Baby Chick Leaning To One Side, How To Force Feed A Baby Chick, Signs Of Intestinal Blockage In Chickens, Chicken Keeps Opening Mouth Like Gagging