3 week old chick droopy wings, not drinking....

[Kyochan]

I have 3 chicks in the brooder. They have all been doing fine but today I noticed that one, Eli, is letting her wings droop down, not picking them back up. She is also not drinking unless I carry her to the water and dip her beak in. She can still walk but tends to stand off to the side and is not as active as the others. She's eaten at some point (I didn't see her do it but her crop feels slightly full) and ideas on what it could be or suggestions on what I should do?

 

[Wyandottes7]

She could have Coccidiosis. This disease causes droopiness, sleepiness, lack of appetite, listlessness, lethargy, and sometimes bloody diarhea. It can kill quickly, so I'd get some Corid (Amprolium) as soon as possible. Corid is sold for cattle and livestock, but is a treatment for Coccidiosis in chickens as well. The dosage for the 9.6% liquid is 2 teaspoons per gallon of water. The dosage for the powder is 3/4 teaspoon per gallon. Give Corid for five days.

 

[Kyochan]

Should I separate her from the other two babies? And I would think I should treat all of them just in case, correct?

 

[Wyandottes7]

Should I separate her from the other two babies? And I would think I should treat all of them just in case, correct?

I don't think that you should separate her. She would be lonely, as would the other ones. All of them have probably been exposed to the disease, so treat them all.

 

[Kyochan]

Okay. Will do. Another question, I'm not sure how it is transfered but I have a 4th chicken who lives indoors. Their cages are close to one another but they never are out together/touching. I'm pretty good about washing my hands between holding the little ones and holding the older one but there's always the chance someone in my house isn't. Is it safe to treat Sp00n (the older one) as well even if she might not be infected? I don't want to take any chances on her but I also don't know how chickens immune system works (if they build up a tolerance, medications on not sick birds actually harm them, ect).

 

[elliechooks]

Treat them all as soon as you can. Young chicks can die from coccidiosis very quickly. Mine had it a few weeks back and I lost 5 chicks
Hope you can get some corid into them soon.

 

[Kyochan]

I seriously hope she can hold on until tomorrow afternoon. I live up in the mountains and all the local feed stores are closed on Sunday and I simply do not have the gas money to run all the way to the nearest Tractor Supply which is going to be closing soon anyways. All I can do is hope, pray, and cross my fingers that she can hold on until I can get off work tomorrow. Luckily I go in at 5 am and get out at noon and with some begging I can get out even quicker for her.

Any ideas what can cause this so I know what to do to prevent it from happening in the future?

 

[Judy]

Cocci is a protozoa that lives in the soil, so any chicken that is ever on the ground can get it.

Be sure your chicks aren't too hot. They shouldn't have a heat lamp on them at 3 weeks if it is summer where you are.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Okay. Will do. Another question, I'm not sure how it is transfered but I have a 4th chicken who lives indoors. Their cages are close to one another but they never are out together/touching. I'm pretty good about washing my hands between holding the little ones and holding the older one but there's always the chance someone in my house isn't. Is it safe to treat Sp00n (the older one) as well even if she might not be infected? I don't want to take any chances on her but I also don't know how chickens immune system works (if they build up a tolerance, medications on not sick birds actually harm them, ect).

The protozoa that cause Coccidiosis are always present in a chicken's digestive system, in small amounts. It can be found nearly everywhere, in wet litter, droppings, etc. If a chicken is suddenly introduced to a new strain (there are nine types of Coccidiosis, all infecting different parts of the digestive tract), it will often get Coccidiosis. A chicken can also get Coccidiosis if it is stressed out, or if the Coccidosis-causing organisms rapidly multiply.

Coccidosis can be prevented by feeding medicated feed (the feed contains Amprolium). However, medicated feed is not 100% effective against Coccidosis, and chickens can get the disease even while eating the feed. Higher amounts of Amprolium are needed to cure the disease. Keeping their area spottlessly clean, or raising chicks on wire, can reduce the possiblity of chicks getting Coccidiosis.

You can treat your other chicken, but I don't think that it is neccesary. Being older, she has likely built up a resistance to Coccidiosis.

While treating for Coccidiosis, remember to not give your birds apple cider vinegar or vitamins. The way that Corid works is that it inhibits thiamine (vitamin B1), which the Coccidia organisms need to live. Vitamins would defeat the purpose, as they would simply replace the thiamine.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Oh, and do you have any buttermilk or powdered milk? These products can be used to slow down the effects of the Coccidosis. If you have some or can get some, give either item to your birds until you can get Corid. This will help them survive.