Sickly 3 day old chicks? Gaping after drinking, wobbly, always sleeping

bangarain

Songster
8 Years
Mar 23, 2015
233
308
191
Vermont
Hi! Two of my mottled cochin bantams are not looking very good, they've been lethargic for the past day or so. One in particular I'm worried about, whenever she tries to drink, sort of gapes with her head up as if she's trying to get it down but can't. It looks sort of like she'd silently peeping.
One's rear was a tiny bit pasty so we cleaned it off and they've both had electrolytes in their water...do you know what could be wrong or how to help them? They don't seem to want to eat and every time I've seen them they're sleeping, and they are very wobbly on their feet, often with their heads sagging. They look awful.

The third, along with the rest of the chicks are doing great, it's just these two :(
 
Can you post a video or picture of what you are talking about?
What type of food/treats are you feeding?
Pasty butt can be due to cold from shipping or too warm in the brooder, do they have room to move completely out from under the lamp into cooler areas of the brooder. Wash their bums, dry them off and apply a little vaseline or coconut oil to help the poo from sticking.
Chicks can drink a little funny by tilting backwards sometimes.
If they are lethargic and puffed up you may want to treat for Cocci.
Dosage for Cocci is 1 1/2 teaspoons Corid powder per gallon or 2 teaspoons of 9.6% Corid liquid per gallon
Give for 5-7 days - make sure this is the ONLY water available during that time period. Mix a fresh batch at least once a day.
 
We lost the very sick one early this evening so no picture/video is possible...the other one is starting to perk up a little with some sugar water and some soaked starter and has begun to stand on her own. The only thing they are eating is their Chick Starter, it is the Organic one by Mannapro.

It was definitely not normal drinking.

They have plenty of room to get to the colder areas - we've been using a heat gun as well to constantly check the temperature and the rest of the chicks are perfectly fine. I am guessing they were just weak from the start, shipping must have just been too much...I've read about coccidiosis and it doesn't quite sound like what was going on here and I have no idea how they could have contracted it in the two days or so they've been here but I very much appreciate it
 

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