2 week old TSC chick sneezing and gasping

[britsngrits]

I've managed to raise 15 chickens just fine without any illness. I picked up 19 chicks from TSC during chick days and I now have at least one hen who is ill. She is sneezing and making gurgling sounds and even gasping for breath. She sounds just awful. I read someone's earlier post on gapeworm but I can't imagine how she would have been exposed. She is only 2 weeks old. I have had them all on medicated starter. Should I quarantine her? Duramycil-10 on hand but I don't know if it is OK to give to chicks this young. Any advice would be appreciated. I live out in the country and the local vet already warned me he doesn't really know poultry.

 

[minihorse927]

If it is duramycin 10 or oxytetracycline it is safe for baby chicks. I used to use it on day olds all the time. I would get that chick away from any other birds quickly just in case it is a illness the others could get. Is there a chance she may have ingested water into her nostrils and now it is in her lungs? It is a possibility and one that would not be harmful to the other babies.

 

[britsngrits]

Thank you for resonding. Unfortunately I have another chick doing the same thing. What is odd is that they are both the same breed, Ameraucanas. Could that particular batch been exposed to something I wonder? I have them now in a seperate kitty crate and I'm going to give them a few drops of the treated water to get them started. Thank you again!

 

[minihorse927]

It is possible that a certain batch was exposed to something earlier on. I work at a TSC and a couple years ago we had a batch of cornish rock cross meat chicks come in and they all died in our store overnight. They were never very active that whole day and seemed lethargic. We called the hatchery and they replaced them and said every once in a while they will have a batch that gets sick before leaving/in shipping and they all die overnight like that. They told us what it probably was but of course I can not remember since it was 2 years ago. One of those things I filed away under the "I'll never own chickens what do I need that info for?" file. 60 chickens and counting later, I probably should have remembered that.

 

[britsngrits]

lol... I never thought I would own chickens either! Someone gave me 3 last May and I've been hooked ever since! All of the other chicks seem to be doing well and I also got 3 ducklings which I adore. My TSC did mention they recently changed hatcheries. I guess that 100% good luck is fairly unusual. It's just that all of my others have been dandy except for the odd bit of frostbite, figuring out the pecking order etc...

I did have a loss to my puppy who killed and ate my Columbian Rock hen. She got yelled at for an extended period of time and has since then not touched another. I also lost a pair of Buff Brahma Bantams to two different hawk attacks, about 6 weeks apart.

I have come to the conclusion that if I insist on letting them free range there will be losses. However, they prefer to be out. When I go out to the coop in the morning they are pounding at the door with major attitude wondering why I waited until 8am to let them out.. the nerve of me! I am going to build a run the next time my husband gets to come home (truck driver). But that is more so that when I am away it will be much easier on a chicken sitter to just go by once a day to collect their eggs.

Here it is 2am and I'm worried about 2 chicks. I would prefer it that they not die and even more so prefer it that they not have infected the other 17 chicks in the brooder! I guess I should drink a glass of concrete and harden up a bit!

 

[minihorse927]

LOL, here it is 2:07 am and I have to work tomorrow and I am playing around on BYC. Mine free range and I lose 4 to an unknown cause the other night. Found feathers from one hen scattered everywhere and no traces of the other 3. 2 were roosters and 2 were hens that came missing. Been 3 days and no sign of any of them. I come to the same conclusion, if I want them to free range I will loose some sometimes. Right now they are mad cause they have been locked up after the last attack ( I am assuming stray dog did it BTW) for a few days just to make sure nothing in lurking around here waiting on them. I have one red sex link hen who is determined to be loose daily and there is a space above the door for her to fly up to and get out. She takes advantage of it and lets herself free everyday. Nothing has eaten her yet do I think I will try to let them out this weekend while I am home. I have a lot of money tied up into these silkies and a lot of them are turining out to be pullets so I definitely do not want to lose them to a stray dog or anything. I wanted top of the line show silkies to breed and I probably way overpaid for some but I am loving them! I am waiting on the stray to come back, I have a present for him. Especially if he does go near those chickens.
I know the whole truck driver thing to. My BF who lives with me on the weekends drives dump truck and also is half owner is a whole trucking business and he is gone monday through friday. It sucks. He thinks I am nuts with the chickens and horses but he loves them as much as I do I think cause he just watches them, especially when they do something funny. He loves it when they do something stupid or funny.

 

[britsngrits]

I just realized you are from Southern Ohio. I picked up a few chickens at the Ohio National and those are the ones that I have lost. Out of the 5 I bought only two roosters remain. My husband works for Heartland and is based out of Columbus tho we live in WV. I have to drive to Dayton very soon to pick up a replacement Columbian Rock hen for the one that my stupid dog ate.

We do have coyote, coons, possum and just about everything you can imagine that would like to eat my babies. The most money I have spent is $25 for my Black Aus. that I picked up in OH. He is a beauty and is related to the English Breed winner from the show. His job however, is to service my RIR's and to protect them.

I have one little banty rooster, Fergus who is the best rooster in all the world, I'm sure of it. Over the winter he was suffering from a bit of frostbite so I brought him inside with his two lady loves in a pen over night. My older than dirt big dog knocked the pen on the ground and was terrorizing the chickens and Fergus spread his wings over his girls to protect them. He has a lovely personality too... he will sit on my shoulder and go for a walk. I can't wait till I can start posting some pics on here. He is a mixed breed... but he is super dude to me.

My husband has never gotten into chickens either. Until..... (drum roll).... he saw that some chickens are English breeds and he is English so he made me order some Speckled Sussex. I placed my order with Meyer but they didnt have any hens till May!

So we will be just getting the roo next week until I can get his girlfriends.

I hope you do NOT get this message because you are tucked away in bed sawing some logs! It was lovely "chatting" with you!

 

[britsngrits]

6am now and 2 new chicks started. The first two have made it through the night but they are still congested sounding and sneezing. I don't know if he antibiotic is helping or not. I will try to call around to see if there is anyone at all that knows what it might be. At this rate I can see all 19 chicks in distress pretty soon.

 

[minihorse927]

I would keep medicating and just go ahead and start medicating the ones who do not even show illness yet since they were all housed together anyway. Try to find someone (vet maybe) who can suggest something stronger or tell if it is a respiratory illness.