Gastrointestinal problems are the most common disorders of neonates, and may be related to improper husbandry, disease or metabolic disorders. Most systemic diseases in chicks result in slowed gut transit time, reflected by a crop that empties slowly. Respiratory problems occur most commonly as a result of aspiration of hand-feeding formula. Bacterial infections are commonly seen. It must be remembered that little pharmokinetic data has been published for drugs in hatchlings, nestlings and fledglings.
Several factors affect pediatric therapy, including liver dysfunction, renal disease or dehydration.
By far, the most common viral disease seen in the nursery is polyomavirus. Only chicks hatched at a facility should be raised in the nursery. A DNA PCR blood test is available for this virus. Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease, PBFD, is common in psittacine chicks. A DNA PCR blood test is available, and requires a clean venipuncture stick, and not a toenail clip, for accurate testing.