- Oct 21, 2009
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Hello!
I just registered here (awesome website!), and I also just began raising 2 baby chicks (maybe 1 1/2 weeks -2 weeks old). I had 3 chicks, but 1 died.
I was given these chicks as a gift from friends who live next to a person who keeps a bunch chickens - feral. Bertram has always been rough-feathered, and Cookie Monster has always been fluffy and strong. (By the way, I have no idea the gender of these chicks.) The 3rd chick, Ernie died from ?diarrhea?. When we first got the chicks, we were clueless and resourceless. With advice and guidance from people at the local feed store we got them some pullet starter, a poultry waterer and they're put them on newspaper in a containment away from predators, in the house. I check them about once every hour. We found out we need to keep the chicks under a lamp the night Ernie died. So, now, Bertram is in a box with food and water under a lamp. Cookie Monster began jumping as high as the edge of the 12in. high box, and so we put her in the dog kennel, with a little 'hide-out' box, with food and water - no light. (This was where all the birds were, before). She seems to be thriving there.
We also separated the 2 because we noticed 1.Bertram had the 'toes' of one of his feet curling under and he was having trouble walking, and 2. his stool was not firm.
Now Bertram is walking without curled-under toes, but is still not very steady on his feet. His stool is off-and-on very mucous-y with what appears to be thick, brown-ish blood, which sometimes accompanies, (sometimes doesn't) a brown poop. When it isn't that, his stool is brown, but frequently watery. I change the newspaper anytime there is a 'not-right' stool. Cookie Monster has the same problem, sometimes.
He eats, and drinks, and we give Bertram some sugar water every day. We have tried giving all the birds small amounts of cooked oatmeal when they show signs of loose stools.
We have NOT given them any wormer, medication, or anything else.
I have read about coccidosis, but I don't think that is what they have.
Cookie Monster is jumping and flapping and has a lot of her wing feathers in, but Bertram only has a few wing feathers and doesn't seem to have an interest in aerial manoevers.
Do you have any suggestions on what to do about the strange bowel movements?
How dangerous is this to the young chicks?
Thank you!
I just registered here (awesome website!), and I also just began raising 2 baby chicks (maybe 1 1/2 weeks -2 weeks old). I had 3 chicks, but 1 died.
I was given these chicks as a gift from friends who live next to a person who keeps a bunch chickens - feral. Bertram has always been rough-feathered, and Cookie Monster has always been fluffy and strong. (By the way, I have no idea the gender of these chicks.) The 3rd chick, Ernie died from ?diarrhea?. When we first got the chicks, we were clueless and resourceless. With advice and guidance from people at the local feed store we got them some pullet starter, a poultry waterer and they're put them on newspaper in a containment away from predators, in the house. I check them about once every hour. We found out we need to keep the chicks under a lamp the night Ernie died. So, now, Bertram is in a box with food and water under a lamp. Cookie Monster began jumping as high as the edge of the 12in. high box, and so we put her in the dog kennel, with a little 'hide-out' box, with food and water - no light. (This was where all the birds were, before). She seems to be thriving there.
We also separated the 2 because we noticed 1.Bertram had the 'toes' of one of his feet curling under and he was having trouble walking, and 2. his stool was not firm.
Now Bertram is walking without curled-under toes, but is still not very steady on his feet. His stool is off-and-on very mucous-y with what appears to be thick, brown-ish blood, which sometimes accompanies, (sometimes doesn't) a brown poop. When it isn't that, his stool is brown, but frequently watery. I change the newspaper anytime there is a 'not-right' stool. Cookie Monster has the same problem, sometimes.
He eats, and drinks, and we give Bertram some sugar water every day. We have tried giving all the birds small amounts of cooked oatmeal when they show signs of loose stools.
We have NOT given them any wormer, medication, or anything else.
I have read about coccidosis, but I don't think that is what they have.
Cookie Monster is jumping and flapping and has a lot of her wing feathers in, but Bertram only has a few wing feathers and doesn't seem to have an interest in aerial manoevers.
Do you have any suggestions on what to do about the strange bowel movements?
How dangerous is this to the young chicks?
Thank you!
