6 week old Chick, Sleepy, Hunched not eating treats - help please!

[Roon]

We're a first time Chicken owning family and we are already in love with our 5 girls, 3 Easter Eggers and 2 Buff Orpingtons. All was well until I put them out in their coop for the first time 5 days ago. They sleep in their House inside the enclosed coop with a heat lamp still, but are out during the day, being silly inside their enclosure.

Dreamer is a robust Easter Egger (EE) who was named such because when we brought her home, the stress seemed too much for her and she slept for almost 2 days straight. 2 days ago she began sleeping, standing up ONLY, hunched and puffed up during the day while the other birds acted crazy, explored, scratched, ate and enjoyed treats such as clover and dried worms.

She's now only sleeping, barely eating, but mustering up a scratch and peck or two for about a minute when I wake her up by coming in with treats. She wants nothing to do with the treats, but will run over to me and sit/ stand on my lap, sleeping, until I leave.

I haven't noticed any of the other birds having any of these symptoms and I haven't noticed any bloody poop.

I thought it might be her crop? Coccidiosis? I went and got sulmet thinking I had to do SOMETHING before our little dreamer passed away. If it's the crop...I tried to feel around, but I can't tell if I'm feeling her breast bone, her wing...or a super hard crop?

It seems she barely has a neck at this point, she's so scrunched.

Any ideas? I thank you all in advance for any advice or stories or help you can give. I've poured over this website trying to find answers...but feel I've not found it yet.

 

[CMV]

I am guessing cocci. Treat her and the rest of the flock ASAP.

 

[Roon]

Thank you! I started Sulmet today and hand fed her the water with the dropper...she won't eat anything. Should I not be giving her yogurt at the same time as the Sulmet?

Just for my own info, what made you think it's Cocci?

 

[CMV]

Don't give her any high protein foods until after treatment. They encourage cocci growth.

Any time a youngster is ailing, lethargic, hunched and fluffed up, I always assume cocci first and foremost. They often don't start showing the bloody stools until they are very, very ill.

 

[Roon]

Thank you so much for your help and input!

I don't have a chick vet around here so you have been very helpful.

I sat with the chicks this morning. My sick chick was so happy to be let out of the house this morning, scratched and pecked at the dirt (no interest in food still), and let me give her a dropper of medicated water before going to her (now) favorite spot to stand, fluffed up, and sleep. Her breastbone is protruding like crazy, and her neck seems totally tucked in - will this stop when/if she gets better?

The other chicks all seem just as healthy and happy as ever. I've stopped feeding them grasses and clover while I medicate the whole crew.

Is it normal for only one chick to show symptoms of cocci?

 

[CMV]

Perfectly normal. Some birds are more prone to the effects of cocci overload than others. She will hopefully perk up once she is feeling better. Since you didn't see any blood in the stools there is a better chance of recovery than if you had seen blood. That usually means there are fewer lesions in the GI tract.

 

[Roon]

Update on Dreamer- She is definitely weaker today - still standing, and when spoken to or jostled, she responds like a normal chick. She hasn't eaten now, for 4 days. I tried to feed her mash mixed with boiled water today, but she had absolutely no interest. She won't let me feed her the water anymore either...just peeps loudly and jumps off my lap to go into her hunched position and sleep.

I'm heartbroken, but getting used to the idea that she will probably pass away. Is there a humane way of helping her die sooner? I hate to think that she is going to starve to death. Thank you for all of your advice and help.

 

[aggiemae]

Is there a humane way of helping her die sooner? I hate to think that she is going to starve to death. Thank you for all of your advice and help.

This is a great question and something to discuss. We had a sick chick that hung on for hours, in retrospect I should have ended her suffering.

 

[Roon]

I will start a new thread and see what kind of discussion we get. I know this won't be my only experience with helping a chick die humanely. Thank you for your response.

 

[Roon]

Just looked it up here and there is already a great discussion about humane ways to put a chick down. I found a good discussion here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/606026/humane-way-to-put-down-chick

I'm cringing at having to do anything...but she seems so lethargic and sleeping and I know she's not eating. Really need to help her die.