2.5 Week old chick walking strangely

[uberkio]

Okay, so I'm super confused by what's going on with my little guy right now, here's the breakdown-
2.5 week old Araucana chick. Eating, drinking, pooping normally. Bright eyed and alert, and able to jump/fly up to top of wall of brooder and perch normally.
About 6ish hours ago I noticed that he was walking strangely. He's off balance, and one of his wings is occasionally drooping. He's stumbling, and losing balance, easily knocked down by the other chicks and not walking far before he just hunkers back down. Sits down while eating and drinking instead of standing like the others, and not flappy/zooming around brooder. It also seems like his breathing is a little more pronounced than the other's. He also has a little bald patch on his back that has been there since we got him, but I have no idea if this could somehow be related.

Ideas, either for causes or treatment would be amazing.

Thanks so much ahead of time

Sarah
PS: He's currently isolated from the others
This is him after his big jump earlier tonight (I'm just guessing it's a him, btw)

 

[annaBsChick]

Hi Sarah, I am sorry that you are going thru this:/ how frustrating.

I am not sure, but I found this really cool site the other day -- PoultryDVM.com which has a symptom checker you can use to help rule out the possibilities of what could be going on with your chick. It is pretty comprehensive, so maybe it can help point you in the right direction.

I hope your little chickie gets better soon

 

[uberkio]

Hi there! Okay, I checked it out, but nothing seems to fit. This is so strange! I'm keeping a super close eye on him, if any new symptoms start, I'll check it again. I really appreciate it, that site is going to come in very handy!

 

[uberkio]

Okay, I think another chick is starting to be affected. I'm freaking out. Could this be Mareks?? If it is, is there anything I can do for the chicks that aren't showing any symptoms???

 

[Eggcessive]

Mareks symptoms usually don't show up until much later, and never before 3 weeks of age. More often it shows when they are several months old. One thing that can show up early is coccidiosis. Are the two chicks eating and drinking normally? Cocci symptoms are lethargy, hunched or puffed up posture, runny droppings or sometimes bloody, and refusing to eat. Corid or amprollium from the feed store cattle meds is the treatment. Until you decide what is wrong, make sure the two are drinkijng electrolyte water, and their brooder temperature is 80-85 degrees F.

 

[uberkio]

Okay, after absolutely panicking about Mareks and posting about it on FB, another person also suggested it could be coccidiosis. My Husband is making an emergency trip home tonight and we're going to pick up ALL the things. They have thankfully been eating and drinking like normal. I don't have transportation and live out in the boonies, so without my Husband coming home I've been limited. He'll be here at about 10am, thankfully. So for tonight, I just changed all bedding (in the main brooder and the quarantine brooder), bleached and washed all food and water dispensers, and gave everyone scrambled eggs (twice today), I also elevated their water and food a little higher than before to hopefully prevent as much contamination. Tomorrow I'm picking up corid, and vitamins, and electrolytes. The FB poster also suggested switching to medicated feed (thoughts?) The brooders are both toasty and draft free. Any other suggestions would be much appreciate. These chicks are seriously my life right now.

 

[KayTee]

If you're going to treat with Corid then don't get the medicated feed. Make sure that the chicks are drinking well - one way to make sure they are getting enough medication is to mix it into the water as prescribed then mix some of that medicated water with their feed to make a small bowl of mash. My girls adore their mash - they eat it in preference to their dry feed. The only problem with mash is that you have to clean the bowl and make a fresh batch every day as it goes mouldy very quickly.
All the best for you and your chicks.

 

[uberkio]

Okay, got it Thank you so much for the advice, and for the tips! And thank you, I'll post updates!! Everyone is still alert, and still no abnormal poop, so I'm hoping i've caught it in time (and hoping it is indeed cocci, or something else that will be treated with the vitamin boost, probiotics, etc. that I'm going to throw at them).

 

[uberkio]

Hmmmm...okay, so we started everyone on Corid today. Also giving them hard boiled egg yolk, steel cut oats, and some yogurt. Scout seems to be do a little better this afternoon (maybe I'm just too optimistic) and is walking more easily, though still sitting down a lot. He at the other chick in question are both eating and drinking very well (I've got the corid/water mixture in their feed as well). No others have become sick. That said, I have seen some reddish/dark pink tint in a couple of poos (no dark blood that I can find)

, and one of the separated ones has had some watery poop, including one that was just straight up clear liquid. The worry is driving me crazy LOL. I think I just need to leave them be for a little while and get my mind off of this. I've put so much work in to taming them, and 1/2 of them are either lavender orpingtons or lavender silkies, and they're really special to me. Ugh.


And Just to break up all the stressful stuff, here's a cute picture of one of my lavender orpingtons

 

[Eggcessive]

Let us know how they get along. If chicks are already on a medicated amprollium feed, I usually don't worry about giving them too much while on Corid since the feed has such a small amount of the drug, and dosage is pretty safe. That of course is only my opinion, and don't want to step on any toes. For Corid powder use 1 1/2 tsp in a gallon of water, and with the liquid use 2 tsp per gallon. Use it for 5-7 days and then give some probiotics and vitamins for several days.