1 week old mini seizures

[jeria]

One of my week old 6 chicks a barred rock was fine when I left for work this am. Came home from work and found her lying on her side, legs splayed out and having what looked like little seizures. I moved her to the box they were shipped in and I'm sure she is not going to live more than a short time. Tried drops of nutra drench but couldn't get it in her mouth . Wondering if I should put the other chicks on anything ? They have only had chick feed, water with nutra drench and grit and have had no signs of pasty butt. The rest all seem fine at this point.

 

[orchardflock]

I had this happen to one of my bantam barred rock chicks. It started with pasty butt and then escalated in the afternoon at about 1 week old to seizures and falling over. We isolated her, and gave her a probiotic/electrolyte mixture that also contained baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). I don't know if it actually made a difference or not, but I really did not think she had any chance of surviving. To my utter amazement, the next day she started to show slow but steady improvement. She is 4 months old now and a fine looking pullet that will hopefully start laying soon.

 

[jeria]

I had this happen to one of my bantam barred rock chicks. It started with pasty butt and then escalated in the afternoon at about 1 week old to seizures and falling over. We isolated her, and gave her a probiotic/electrolyte mixture that also contained baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). I don't know if it actually made a difference or not, but I really did not think she had any chance of surviving. To my utter amazement, the next day she started to show slow but steady improvement. She is 4 months old now and a fine looking pullet that will hopefully start laying soon.

What did you use for a probiotic/electrolyte?

 

[jeria]

If she had any pasty butt it wasn't a problem @ 6am.

 

[orchardflock]

I found it! It's called Chick Boost Probiotics. We tried the cheap kind readily available at the tractor supply closest to our house first and it didn't make a difference. The fancier family-owned farm supply store recommend the Chick Boost brand instead or making our own probiotic/electrolyte/baking soda mixture to try. I opted to just buy it, but I bet there are recipes available if Chick Boost is not sold near you.

 

[jeria]

I found it! It's called Chick Boost Probiotics. We tried the cheap kind readily available at the tractor supply closest to our house first and it didn't make a difference. The fancier family-owned farm supply store recommend the Chick Boost brand instead or making our own probiotic/electrolyte/baking soda mixture to try. I opted to just buy it, but I bet there are recipes available if Chick Boost is not sold near you.

Tractor supply is all without driving at least 25 miles

 

[jeria]

I found it! It's called Chick Boost Probiotics. We tried the cheap kind readily available at the tractor supply closest to our house first and it didn't make a difference. The fancier family-owned farm supply store recommend the Chick Boost brand instead or making our own probiotic/electrolyte/baking soda mixture to try. I opted to just buy it, but I bet there are recipes available if Chick Boost is not sold near you.

I know I saw a homemade one on one of the heat related threads. hunting though them

 

[DocBirdBrain]

Seizures can sometimes be caused by a severe electrolyte imbalance (which could possibly happen with bad diarrhea, salt poisoning, or non-functioning waterers), they can also be caused by infection or inflammation of the nervous system, a toxin (most commonly from molds), head trauma, genetics/epilepsy, end-stage liver disease, and some cancers.
It certainly doesn't hurt to isolate the chicken and try treating with an electrolyte solution. Also check to be sure the feed isn't moldy, and that they don't have access to any other moldy foods, wild mushrooms, or other toxins.
If the electrolytes don't help, you could submit the chicken for a necropsy (autopsy), which would let you know if you need to do anything for your other chickens.

 

[jeria]

Seizures can sometimes be caused by a severe electrolyte imbalance (which could possibly happen with bad diarrhea, salt poisoning, or non-functioning waterers), they can also be caused by infection or inflammation of the nervous system, a toxin (most commonly from molds), head trauma, genetics/epilepsy, end-stage liver disease, and some cancers.
It certainly doesn't hurt to isolate the chicken and try treating with an electrolyte solution. Also check to be sure the feed isn't moldy, and that they don't have access to any other moldy foods, wild mushrooms, or other toxins.
If the electrolytes don't help, you could submit the chicken for a necropsy (autopsy), which would let you know if you need to do anything for your other chickens.

Thanks, started feeding her a bit of homemade electrolyte. I managed to get her to swallow a little bit and maybe a tiny bit of nutra drench mixed in water. The chicks are in a brooder box so no access to much of anything. The feed is good and they have only had chick feed, chick grit and water with nutra drench. I haven't given them any treats yet. Will try giving her more shortly and set the clock to get up during the night.

No pasty butt, it is clean.

 

[jeria]

I found it! It's called Chick Boost Probiotics. We tried the cheap kind readily available at the tractor supply closest to our house first and it didn't make a difference. The fancier family-owned farm supply store recommend the Chick Boost brand instead or making our own probiotic/electrolyte/baking soda mixture to try. I opted to just buy it, but I bet there are recipes available if Chick Boost is not sold near you.

I made one that I found: sugar, salt, baking soda and water. She has taken in a little and also some water with nutra drench a couple different times. I'm giving her as much as she will tolerate at a time which isn't much. I haven't seen any more movements that appear to be seizures but she just huddles in a corner, she is under the brooder light as I moved it so it would hit both boxes. I'll be up giving her more overnight off and on but do have to work tomorrow.

The rest of the chicks seem fine.