3-4 week old chick lethargic and not eating.

[mksauce23]

Help! I woke up this morning to one of my chicks (a few weeks old) not feeling well. Gladys is not eating, pretty lethargic, has a bit of a “penguin stance”, and doesn’t seem comfortable enough to lay down/roost. When she closes her eyes she just hangs her head.

She will peck at food, but just drop it. I also noticed a bit of drool. I tried holding her upside down and massaging her crop in case she ate too many shavings/feather bits but it feels completely empty and I’m a bit worried about being too rough with her. I haven’t offered them grit yet, and just went outside and broke up some of the big girls’ grit...

I’m also not hearing anything in her lungs. Just a slight grunt every few minutes. I recently switched their food from a medicated crumble to unmedicated.

Any ideas of what I can do for Gladys?

 

[Eggcessive]

At this age coccidiosis could be a problem. How do her poops look? Corid from the feed store will treat that. Dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid Corid per gallon of water. Make sure that she is drinking plenty, and until you get the medicine, give her sugar water and keep her warm.

 

[dawg53]

I'd get Gladys started on corid 9.6% liquid solution. Dosage is 9.5 cc's per gallon of water for 5-7 days. If she's not drinking, give it to her orally via eyedropper or syringe w/o needle often during the day in order to be effective.
If she's eating, mix it in her feed as well to make a gruel for her to eat.

 

[Ridgerunner]

At that age and that behavior i'd automatically start the chick on Corid. Assume it could be Coccidiosis and start treatment immediately. It does not necessarily sound like Cocci but Cocci is so common it will not hurt to start treatment and could be a lifesaver. In spite of some of the stuff you may read on here you do not always get bloody stools when you are dealing with Cocci. It would not be a bad idea to treat all of the chicks, even if they are not acting suspicious. It will not hurt.

I don't know what that drool means. The problem could be further down its digestive tract, past the crop. There could be a blockage in the gizzard, the grit might help. That's a good idea.

It's probably cool in Kentucky right now. Keep the chick in a warm spot, not hot but don't let it chill. I'd also give it something for energy. You may be able to get packets to dissolve in water at the feed store (electrolytes), but you can also just dissolve sugar in water. I've used hummingbird liquid if you have that. The idea is to keep the chick hydrated with the liquid plus the sugar will give the chick energy, maybe make it feel good enough it can start eating and drinking on its own. Use a medicine dropper and put a drop of liquid on the tip of its beak. It should swallow on its own. Do not force the liquid down its throat, you can drown it that way.

There are so many things that could be going on. It could be a birth defect that is just now coming to light. Perhaps it ate a screw or nail that punctured it's gizzard wall. It could be a disease. If this chick dies, well sometimes things happen. If another chick shows the same symptoms you might contact your county extension office and see what it takes to get a necropsy. They should have someone in their system that can perform an autopsy to determine what killed it. Find out the cost (here in Arkansas it is free) and how you need to package it and store it so they can autopsy it. That probably involves refrigeration or an ice chest.

You probably don't want to hear this right now but that is a cockerel, not a pullet. The comb and heavy legs are pretty clear.

Good luck!

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. It's likely cocci. It can kill the chicks and your chick is at the age where they are the most susceptible to it. Gatorade or pedialyte is good to give them because it has electrolytes in it.

 

[cmom]

This is my Gladys. She has a crossed beak.

 

[mksauce23]

Thank you everyone for the help! I haven't caught her (or him :O) pooping yet, but did see a few runny ones in the cage with the other chicks. I have picked up some Corid, and luckily Gladys is happy to drink!

 

[Eggcessive]

What breed is Gladys? I suppose Gladiator would be a good name is she is a he. Good luck and make sure that he drinks well.

 

[mksauce23]

Hah! Gladiator would be great! Gladys is a RIR-- picked up approx. 3.5 weeks ago.

 

[Eggcessive]

Maybe there is hope yet that you will have a Gladys. The next weeks should make it more obvious if her come gets red.