Molasses flushing?....Sick chicks becoming worse! :( Need help ASAP!

[77horses]

Quote:
Thank you! I think I'll get some of the activated charcoal then...how would I use it? In the water?

 

[PoultryPedia]

I think a little oatmeal occasionally is okay, so you could give the way MotherJean described. Or in water, if they will still drink water okay with charcoal in it. Chickens do tend to be pretty accepting of pretty much anything in their water.

BTW--I would not feed bread because it fills up their crops so they probably won't eat as much, and is high-carb.

The thread about my experience with my chickens is at:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=253587&p=2

Note: Riley is the first chicken I tried to treat. I did not know correct treatments while treating her.
Her sister Little I didn't know was ill until right before she died, and I did not get a chance to treat.
I got understanding of problem and correct treatment after their mother Wonder was sick quite a while.

All the chickens were also weakened by Northern Fowl Mites some of the time. I didn't discover that for a while, though I handled some of the chickens a lot. Those mites can be hard to notice.

 

[justbugged]

Speckled Would you use something like Captan? Captan is a fungicide that is used normal on plants in the garden. My Veterinarian suggested it when I was fighting ringworm on my puppies. It has worked on all but 2 of the pups. I found it at a local plant nursery. I have worried that it was overkill for what I am trying to do, but it's been a long time and I don't see any negative effects at all.

 

[MotherJean]

Ummm....it's been 3 full days since you posted asking for advice. Hate to pile on your troubles BUT those babies sound like they are out of time. You need to stop with the

and the

if you intend to keep them all from dying. I understand that getting conflicting advice from a bunch of different people does tend to paralyze a newbie. I feel bad for you, but that's the nature of BYC. If you are reluctant to treat your birds unless you are absolutely certain what you are treating, then you really have no choice but to consult a Vet. I hope you do so quickly.

 

[PoultryPedia]

There are definitely times to cull, and definitely limits to what different people can invest, and should. Those things depend on specific conditions of animal, and situation, priorities and values of people. It can be very hard to let go sometimes.

Often it's very hard to know when that's best, in addition to being hard sometimes to choose that action when it is best.

Myself, I have sometimes gone to extremes treating some conditions, and gone past good limits in some cases. That hasn't been positive.

However, I still do share info on some treatment methods that may be extreme to some, in addition to more common and easy treatments. Each person needs to determine the appropriate actions for them and their chickens and some people's "too much" is "do-able" in others' cases. If someone has determined that treatment is the direction for them to go at a particular time, I want if I can to provide information that will help them most effectively take action, save research time, and have the highest likelihood of good results.

justbugged--This has gotten me thinking, I should add a section about these kinds of issues on the webpage where I post info on treatments. Thanks for getting me thinking by sharing your thoughts.

I wish others the best in balancing personal interest, compassion and practicality in making decisions.

Just a note re. treating a day old chick with walking problems--If the problem is Splayed Leg, it is VERY EASILY fixed in most cases at that point, and causes no lasting problems in almost all cases.

 

[77horses]

Sorry I haven't been able to get on lately! Had school all day, then just got home and read through the posts...Thanks everyone for all the info. The three babies are hanging on still. Youngest (Jasmine) is very light even if she's still eating enough.

I really don't think it's cocci. I don't think any of the chickens have blood in their poop and it looks normal and solid, not watery. Only the younger chicks are acting like that. Plus, even if I was planning on getting Corid, I really can't afford to spend $30. My family is going through a tight time right now and so I can't borough money from my parents and I spent most of my allowance on building my $140+ chicken coop, new feed (after the old stuff spoiled), etc...So I'm on a really tight budget. I honestly cannot afford a $30 thing of Corid at the moment.

My stepfather works as an EMT and he says they have activated charcoal that they use on some patients in some cases if they need to get them to throw up. So he may be able to get me some for free today.


Today, all the chickens have eaten is their grower mash (with added water to make it mushy and easier to eat for them) and anything else while they were foraging in their small run.


When I get the activated charcoal, how do I give it to them?

Thanks again to everyone!

 

[MotherJean]

See post #3.

 

[babsbag]

Corid might not be as expensive as I remembered. I wouldn't just write it off without checking on prices. I saw it online for 13.00.

I hope your chicks get better. If it is cocci it would most likely be affecting only your young chicks.

 

[PoultryPedia]

77horses--Are we understanding correctly that your chicks are about 4 weeks old now?
Does anyone know at what specific age range chicks are generally most vulnerable to cocci?

 

[Beekissed]

If you can find some unpastuerized apple cider vinegar to put into their water, this is a great immune system booster and will help develop good yeast/fungus in the intestinal tract of these birds. You might also try a natural antifungal called Olive Leaf Extract...costs about $5 for a big bottle at any health store. This stuff works wonders for my boy, who has a tendency to develop yeast infections in his nasal passages.

Both of these things will not hurt your chicks in any way and can only help.