3-4 day old slikies

[LunarRayne]

I got 3 silkies from a local feed store. I live 30 min away, so it is hard for me to just get to town.

Of the 3, 1 seemed to start downhill after we got it home. It seemed to get better after I fed it some hardboiled egg. But 12 hours later it can't walk on its own. All it really wants to do is sleep. I doubt it will make it through the night. Although I hope it does and I hope it makes a full recovery.

#2 was fine yesterday, last night and this morning. At around noon it started to look off. Now it is really droopy and wants to sleep constantly. It still walks over to the water and the feeder but is barely eating and drinking. I have been going in ever few hours to make sure it is getting water and food. I try to only give it a few drinks and a few bites because I don't want to over feed it.

#3 seems to be fine. Loud, doesn't stop moving, constantly eat and drinks. Acts like most chicks I have seen.

They were delivered from Ideal Poultry and I hope they turn out fine. Is there anything I can do? I don't have any vitamans and will not be able to get any until Monday at the earliest. Can I mix up some kind of drink for them. Kinda limited on supplies. The Feed store said I would have to buy more birds that it had been more than 24 hours since they were delivered.

Thanks for the help!!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I would say that you need to give those chicks (all the chicks) Corid as fast as you can.

It might be coccidiosis- you decide:

Here is the classic picture of it:

lethargic
feathers fluffed up as if cold
won't eat or drink
stands by itself in a corner with eyes closed
may or may not have bloody poo
may or may not have been on medicated feed
may or may not have had contact with the ground

You should NOT have to force a healthy chick to eat and drink.

If you want Corid information I will give it (or another BYC'er). It is in the cattle section of the feed store. Coccidiosis is a fast killer. It causes intestinal damage.

Also- it is a disease usually of young chicks and chickens usually up to 8 weeks of age. It usually only affects older hens if they have immunocompromise.

 

[lady feathers]

You can put some sugar in their water to perk them up a bit... but remove the water and make fresh every 4-6 hours or so so it doesn't "go bad". Keep in mind that chicks sleep alot, are you sure they aren't just tired from the shipping and then the move to your house? Double heck the temperature and make sure it is right they should be somewhere around 95degrees at 4 days old, but make sure they have enough space to get out from under the heat too incase they are too warm which will cause them more stress. If they are pooping regularly and it looks normal then they may be eating and drinking when you aren't watching and they are just tired little chicks. Hope this is the case! Also be sure to check their butts for pasty butt.... can be cause by many things shipping stress, too high of heat, etc... but if thy can't evacuate their poo it'll make them sick and they can die. If theirs vents are closed try a warm washcloth or a gentle warm but bath under the faucet, dry them and place them back into the brooder so they don't become chilled. Good Luck!

When you make it back into town you can pick up some electrolytes packets to add to the water (save-a chick, etc...) to see if this helps.

 

[LunarRayne]

I called the feed store and they said they have only had 1 bantam reported to die. I have a feeling the sickest is just really week. I plan on getting some vitamins for them as soon as I can. I have noticed a little pasty butt on the sickest one. I bathed it yesterday and used a styling dryer (like the conair thing that as the brush attachment) to dry it. I have the light on them just like I had for my last silkie/bantam mix and they seemed fine. I forgot to mention they received some guineas at the same time and half of them were dead, but they were from a different hatchery. I also bought 2 mallard chicks from them (which they got from ideal) and they are fine. I hope it is not bad and I am hoping it is just stress.

 

[lady feathers]

After hearing that half the guineas were dead I wonder if these poor baies didn't have one heck of a stressful shipping.... hopefully they will pull through with some rest, try the sugar water for now until you can get the packets of vit/minerals. Good Luck, watching them struggle is so hard!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
+1

If they had a horrible time with being shipped this could explain it. I retract my coccidiosis theory. Sugar water, definitely.

If you need the recipe, McMurray Hatchery has it on their chick care page.

 

[Elite Silkies]

Shipping is def. hard on chicks. Pasty butt usually happens if the temps are too low or too high. Do you have a thermometer in your brooder? I would give them some sugar water, poly vi-sol (without iron).

 

[LunarRayne]

Well the sickest one did die. My thermometer is acting weird, so I changed the bulb in the brooder just to be sure. I added the sugar water and the other sick one drank alot and ate a few bites. Then it ran under the now changed light and started to stretch. It is able to make sounds again (it was acting like it could not) and seems to be better. I hope it works and am sad I didn't get to the other one in time.

Thanks for the help everyone. I will update later if anything changes.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I am so sorry for your loss.