3 month old D'anver chicks sick and dying fast

[Pamabyrd]

Hi, my son has some 3 month old D'anver chicks that are dying fast. We have lost 5 in the last week. The only symptoms are finding them fluffed up in the corner, a puffy chest, not eating and wheezing right before they die. It takes about 24 hours from the time we find them fluffed up to the time they die. They don't seem to have any diarrhea, no swollen, watery eyes, or runny noses. The puffy chest seems almost like there is fluid or air between the breast and skin. The birds that aren't sick don't have this puffiness in the chest until they start fluffing up. I've started giving them 1/4cc of penicillin SQ as soon as a see them start fluffing up in the corner. Any advice would help.

Thanks - Pam

 

[AndreaS]

Hi Pam,

I was hoping someone with more experience would be able to help you, but since you haven't gotten any responses, can you give us more information? Everything you can think of, have the chickens been vaccinated for anything? What type of feed do they get, protein %, name brand, is it medicated etc, do they have access to grit at all times? Do they get any treats? Has anything changed recently? What is their coop set up like? Their run? What kind of bedding do you use, do they free range? Inspect the chickens really well. How do their vents look? Have you been able to check their crops and be sure that food is moving through ok? Hold one to your ear and see if you can hear raspy breathing or rattling in their chests, respiratory issues don't always result in nasal drainage or bubbly eyes...Can you smell any strange smells coming from their face or beak?

I'm just searching here...

In the meantime, i would try and boost their immune systems. Give them organic plain yogurt as a treat, extra protein from scrambled eggs, canned cat food, tuna or salmon. See if you can get your hands on some nutri drench for poultry (my local feed store carries it). If you can't get that, try giving all the birds a few drops of poly-vi-sol baby vitmains without iron in their beak daily. Use a splash of organic apple cider vinegar in their water.

Without any other symptoms, it may be hard to tell. You could consider sending a bird in for necropsy to find out what the problem is and potentially be able to save the rest of your flock.

Usually, the fluffed up thing makes me think of coccidosis, but that usually has other symptoms in the form of diarrhea, or blood in their stools. If it were cocci, the medications you use are cordid or sulmet.

If it is nutritionally related, maybe the above suggestions will help you.

Give as much information as you can and perhaps someone will be able to assist you more.

Good luck! Andrea

 

[Pamabyrd]

Thanks. We had a sick chick survive the night although he's not looking to good. This morning his vent area is wet. Could this be diarrhea? I don't see any blood at all. He is breathing hard and just laying there. I don't believe they were vaccinated for anything. They are still in a brooder with a heat lamp at night. We use shavings for bedding. We haven't had any new birds come in. They are eating Extreme Feed - Chick Start N Gro with 18.2% protein.

The chicks that aren't sick don't seem to have any symptoms at all. No rattling or rasping. They are eating and drinking well. The first thing we notice is the huddling in the corner. When we check them out, they have the puffyness in the chest, then go rapidly down hill from there. I've been giving them 1/4cc of penicillin right away just as soon as we find them this way. In fact we gave all the chicks in the brooder that had the sick one yesterday a shot of pen yesterday

I will start upping the protein and adding some nutri drench. Thank you again.

Pam

 

[AndreaS]

Pam, did you say the chicks are three months old and they are still in a brooder with a heat lamp, or did you mean that they are only a month old?

ALSO- if they are babies, do not give them the canned cat food or fish that i recommended..... the yogurt and a little hard boiled egg yolk should be good. They cannot get any kind of treat that does not dissolve very easily until they have access to grit 24/7. It will cause their crops to get impacted.

I wish i could be of more help. Have you been checking their vents before they get sick to make sure they aren't pasting up? This is when poop sticks to the feathers and blocks the vent, causing their little systems to back up and eventually killing them. Ususally, it doesn't happen with chicks older than a week or two though...If this is the case, and they are pasting up, check them several times a day, and clean their little bums off regularly. It can kill them quick.

What temperature do you have the brooder at? Can they get away from the heat source and cool off if they need to?

Also, are you using pine shavings only? cedar is toxic to them.

If it is respiratory, the most common injectable used is Tylan, although i believe Penn is sometimes used for certain respiratory issues, it is mostly used for wounds and infections.

The wet vent, was it wet with clear fluid?

I still am hoping someone else will read this thread and have a better idea. It could be so many different things, I feel like I'm just guessing at it.

 

[jerseygirl1]

I haveno clue either, but just have some questions - where are they, inside or outside? How are their crops, full or empty?

 

[pips&peeps]

Sounds like possible cocci. You need to get some amprolium and medicate them right away. You can find it at any livestock store. It should be in the cattle section and is labeled Corid.

 

[Pamabyrd]

They are 3 months old. They were in the chicken barn until they started getting sick then we brought them in the garage and put a heat light on them. No pasting up. In fact their poops look normal until they get sick. Only after they get sick is the vent area wet. Not like diarrhea wet but like clear fluid wet. Weird?
We only use pine shavings, no cedar.
I'm wondering now if the swelling we feel is their crop? The chest area fills normal until they get sick then its real mushy feeling. Could this be the crop? I know where the crop is before they get sick but then the whole chest area gets puffy and mushy feeling and I have no idea where the crop is.
I will get some Tylan tomorrow morning. What is the dosage for 3 month old D'anver chicks? And how often? I have Corid. Is it ok to give they to them while giving the antibiotics? I believe this goes in the water right? What is the dosage for 1 gallon of water?
Thanks so much for your suggestions!
Pam

 

[jerseygirl1]

3/4 tsp per gallon of water with the powdered Corid.

 

[AndreaS]

Hi Pam,

I don't think you can use corid and tylan at the same time. With the symptoms they have, I would tend to think it is either cocci or respiratory infection of some sort, but it really could be something else entirely.

I don't think it would be a crop issue, since that is not contagious. But some sicknesses do slow down their little systems and that could result in crop problems.....but, there would have to be some other underlying cause.

Did I ask you already if they have free choice access to grit?

Here's where I hesitate to give any solid advice due to my lack of experience; you have already given them a penicillin shot, and then there's the possibility of giving them either tylan or corrid, depending on which you
think is more likely the problem, cocci or respiratory. I don't know how an already compromised immune system will react to having penicillin and then another type of Med. I guess at this point you have nothing to loose, I just hate playing with antibiotics without knowing for certain that you are using the right medicine for the problem. Its terribly frustrating.

No matter what course of meds you choose to use, replenish their systems with probiotics. Since yogurt contradicts some antibiotics, I would pick up probios powder at your feed store and mix it in with a wet
treat daily. They depend so muvh on good bavteria for digestion, and the antibiotics will wipe it out. If you treat with corid in their water, I would give them drops of nutri drench directly in their beaks. If you end up using tylan injectable, then you can put the nutri drench in their
water.



Ok, for tylan 50 injectable 1/2 CC for three days only,
in the breast muscle, changing places each day. For the corid, it's 1 teaspoon per gallon of water, changed daily, for 5 days. This dosage is for the 9.6% liquid corid.

Is there any way you can get one of the sick ones to a vet first, to find out for sure what it is?

Please keep us updated, you're doing everything you can!