2 sick 14 week old chickens

[cafarmgirl]

I talked to the place we got the chicks for and she said to get medicated chick feed so I got medicated chick feed for them. We also have them electrolyte water and buttermilk. So you think the feed is enough. The lady insisted it was.

She is incorrect. Medicated feed will not cure a case of coccidiosis, many times it will not even prevent it. Chicks can and do often still get a full blown case of coccidiosis while on medicated starter becasue the amount of amprolium it contains is so small so it certainly is not going to cure an outbreak. Buttermilk can help to coat the intestines and slow the progress of the cocci protozoa, it may or may not be effective enough to save the chicks. But really the easiest, surest way to treat coccidiosis is to simply run a course of treatment with Corid. It's safe, simple and saves lives.

Something to note: If you do start treating with Corid do not give any more buttermilk until the treatment is complete due to the coating effect it has. You don't want to coat the intestines and potentially protect the cocci from the effects of the Corid. Buttermilk can be given again after the treatment if desired.

 

[Hills0816]

Thanks everyone! One more question is the liquid or powder better to treat them with?

 

[Hills0816]

I have put corid in all the water. But the 2 aren't eating and drinking. I have then each about 4cc by syringe. Is that enough? Should I give them some every few hours like thatbif they aren't drinking? Is there anyway to get food into them? You guys are helping so much! Thanks again!

 

[Hills0816]

Does everyone agree with this reply about giving full strength corid from a syringe to the very ill chickens that aren't drinking? I just want to make sure to do all the right things and save my birdies

"When I have a sick chick that's not drinking it's what I do and I have seen no ill effects from doing it, nor have I seen any properly documented info that says not to. If it makes you feel better, dilute it a little. For example, if you have a 500 gram chick (1.1 pounds) the Corid dose for that chick is .1ml, so draw up .1ml then draw up some more water in the syringe and give it that way. In addition to the oral dose I also treat their drinking water. Corid is a very safe product and almost impossible to OD anything on."

Is this true?

 

[casportpony]

I have put corid in all the water. But the 2 aren't eating and drinking. I have then each about 4cc by syringe. Is that enough? Should I give them some every few hours like thatbif they aren't drinking? Is there anyway to get food into them? You guys are helping so much! Thanks again!

Their daily water intake should be no less than 10% of their body weight, so if they weigh 1000 grams, they need 100 ml of fluids per day. Syringing this amount is too dangerous, so I would suggest tube feeding if they don't start drinking on their own.

-Kathy

 

[Hills0816]

Sorry about my ignorance but what is tube feed?

 

[casportpony]

Sorry about my ignorance but what is tube feed?

It's when you place a tube down into the crop. This allows one to safely give the proper amount of fluids and/or food from a syringe, through the tube and into the crop. Many people will try to drip water into their birds, then their birds aspirate the fluids, which will just create more problems. How long did it take you to give your birds 4ml earlier? One could tube ten times that amount in less than two minutes. I'm available by phone to help with tubing, you just need to get the supplies.

FWIW, I understand your reluctance to give the Corid undiluted, so just for grins I gave two small drops to three of my small chicks (30 grams each) and .3ml to a very sick 1000 gram hen that I'm treating.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Lots of tubing info here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

Do you have a kitchen scale? If so, you might want to start weighing the sick ones every day.

-Kathy

 

[Hills0816]

Thanks so much for your help these are our first birds and we really care about our animals so appreciate all the advice you're giving. I don't have a chicken scale. Is it soth hong you can get at a feed store? It took me about 2 minutes to give them 4ml because I didn't want to go to fast so I would stop them and let her work it down then do a bit more. They are starting to eat a bit of scrambles eggs with probiotics in it. Not a lot but they are doing it. But still haven't seen them drink yet.

 

[casportpony]

Can you go to Target or Walmart to get a kitchen scale? They're about $20. Tubing supplies would be trickier... Do you have a vet that you take cats and dogs to? If so, they should be able to sell you a tube and syringe. Baby bird food is at Petsmart.

-Kathy