7 week old chick can't eat

[wild chick]

I have a 7 week old Dominique that has always had a rather upright stance, but the last week it is more pronounced and she has been staying fluffed up in a tucked position like she's cold. It's in the 80's here all day, she free ranges with the mixed breed clutch her age. When I toss a treat she will run at it but then peck and not eat it. It seems as if she swallows once or twice and then she wants nothing more to do with it. All the others will be dashing around and she will do her frozen stance. (If I try to catch her she can run pretty quick though). Today I caught her up and felt her all over. empty crop, pronounced keel bone and I *think* a twist in her neck bone. She doesn't hang her head like a wry chicken, but something is not right. I put her in a small pen with another chick her age (clutch-mate, so they get along) that is healing a leg so maybe the quiet setting would help. I offered her mushy chick starter and she ate eagerly for 3 or 4 bites and then went back to her stance. Also much smaller than the others her age, as you can see in the photos. Any ideas?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Have you felt it's crop?

 

[wild chick]

Yes, as stated in the text, found it empty and a very pronounced keel bone. I thought she looked like she was starving to death. I figured the keel bone sticking out with 0 padding is why she would not lie down on the roost. She was always standing like you see in the roosting photo.
However tonight I gave her chopped boiled egg with minced sunflower seed and in the confined pen with only the one-legged chicken and she ate and ate and ate. She is not picked on by her clutch-mates outside, and she won't eat the chick starter or all-flock feed even if I make it mushy with water. She wasn't aggressive to the other chick in the hospital-pen with her, but Annie (broken leg) would not even go near her while she ate. Go figure?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sorry, I seem to be having a problem seeing all that I'm reading today. You do clearly say the crop is empty. Good she's eating. @Wyorp Rock any ideas?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

she has been staying fluffed up in a tucked position like she's cold.

Her stance says she's not doing too good.

What does her poop look like? If she were mine, I would treat her for Coccidiosis. You can find Corid at Tractor Supply in the cattle section.

Dosage is 1 1/2 teaspoons Corid powder or 2 teaspoons of 9.6% Corid liquid per gallon of water. Give for 5-7 days - make sure this is the ONLY water available during that time period. Mix a fresh batch at least once a day.

Continue to encourage her to eat, wet mash is good if she will eat that. Some scrambled/hard boiled egg or tuna is sometimes well recieved. Make sure she has a source of grit (crushed granite) available free choice. I would still check the crop first thing in the morning for a few days to make sure it's empty.

 

[rebrascora]

Did you have X rays on the one with the broken leg, can you feel a break or are you just assuming it is broken? Two young birds, one with a leg issue and one wasting away with a slightly contorted neck, suggests Marek's to me. Were they vaccinated for Marek's?

 

[rebrascora]

I would recommend a vitamin supplement but hang fire on it if you are going to treat with Corid first.

 

[wild chick]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll get the Corid and try that, but the poops are pretty normal in the pen. After watching Domino (the one that has the Stance) eat only soft things I started wondering if she wasn't eating grit either and if that was causing her not to eat at all, due to having pain trying to digest things without grit? And yes, chick grit is in the pen with them. I've seen her pick at the feeder -dry chick starter- but she doesn't eat much. She has a tray of it as mush, and she eats a little but not enthusiastically. She eats chopped boiled egg with tiny sunflower chips like crazy. I can't help but think something is preventing her from swallowing larger, harder things. @rebrascora - I didn't get an x-ray on Annie, but most definitely broken - flopping and swinging freely kind of broken. Now 9 days later there is a lump that I can feel over the femur, and she is flexing her toes and yesterday, doing a wing stretch, did half a stretch with the broken leg, so for sure on the mend! I put electrolyte/vitamin mix in the water for these two in the hospital pen. Are you saying no vitamins if you treat with Corid? Thanks again for the input.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Could just be something internally wrong with her unfortunately. Most sick chickens don't recover despite treatment.

 

[rebrascora]

Yes, I would stop the vitamin supplement until after the Corid. The active ingredient, Amprolium is a Thiamine (Vitamin B1) blocker so adding more vitamin B to the diet may make it less effective.