8 week old peachick lethargic, droopy wings, dehydrated

[Chicken Keith]

This bird has been out of the brooder for a solid month now, separated from chickens by a chain link fence. My birds were not on the ground, they were on a plywood floor, but not a mesh floor. Gave some water diluted sulmet two days ago when I first noticed the problem, switched to Wazine in solution with water this morning. She had the strength to perch on roost the last two nights but not tonite.

She ate some scrambled egg tonight. I gave her 5CC of electrolyte solution in water via syringe. She doesn't like cooperating on drinking. I have her indoors now in a dog kennel with a blanket inside.

Her stools are yellow and runny, no blood at all. Her skin feels clammy. She appears very dehydrated.

Condition is grave tonite, I don't expect her to make it. If she does manage to survive the night I'm taking her to an avian vet in the morning.

Does anyone have any idea what this is? All I can think of is worms that she managed to pick up if she poked her head thru the chain link fence and ate chicken droppings. Now I read that wazine only targets roundworms and my goat wormer med has expired. I thought I was being careful in how I penned them with plywood separating them from the ground. I hatched this baby on July 1st, and I feel like such a failure now.

 

[Chicken Keith]

The bird died last nite. I can't help but think from severe dehydration. But what caused the dehydration. Taking the body to the vet this morning for a necropsy. 2nd peachick is exhibiting similar signs now, droopy wings but not very lethargic. I only hatched two. This is all very discouraging. I'll post here what the vet said

 

[KsKingBee]

Cocci is the silent killer of young peafowl. We see it even in our indoor wire brooders every year. Our vet recommends starting sulfadimethoxine treatments starting at three weeks, six, nine, twelve, etc. It is the only thing we have found that keep the chicks alive. If your vet runs a fecal float exam I believe that is what you will find.

 

[Chicken Keith]

Ok, just got a call from the vet, it was roundworm, and he kept repeating Ascariasis (specific type of RW) and I had to ask him what that was. I asked him if he saw any clues to blackhead or cocci and he replied no. I used Wazine in the water and at one point I used Wazine undiluted with a syringe directly into the gullet hoping to avert the disease. But to no avail. The bird died within 4 days of infection--that's quick! This information cost me $180 but it was worth it, and thus hopefully maybe it will help some one else on here. He seemed sure it was not cocci, and I never saw bloody stools either. Just white runny droppings that tells me it was mostly bird urine, but the bird had no interest to drink.

 

[KsKingBee]

I've learned a few of those lessons too. You should toss the Wazine away and get some Valbazen. You can use it orally or even in water or mash. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Chicken Keith]

I don't know if local stores near me (Southern States of TSC) sell it. I'm afraid Amazon will not deliver in time to save the second chick. What about Safeguard? I think it's better than Wazine. Since Wazine targets roundworms I hope it would work. The chick doesn't seem to want to drink. It didn't seem to do squat for the chick already dead. The torture is watching the thing suffer, and not seeing improvement in health. Thanks KsKingbee for replying.

 

[abraga]

I'd suspect cocci to.

 

[abraga]

I'd suspect cocci to.

Ist thing I always suspect 1st with chicks is cocci..usually chicks haven't had enough time to get a heavy worm infestation when they are young. U should start corid right away

 

[Chicken Keith]

The vet could have missed cocci, I suppose. There's no blood in stools however, just white and runny. I thought cocci was noted by blood in stools. I cannot imagine worms could take root so quickly either to be honest. This is a hard hard painful lesson to learn. Hope others learn from my mistake. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

 

[KsKingBee]

Ist thing I always suspect 1st with chicks is cocci..usually chicks haven't had enough time to get a heavy worm infestation when they are young. U should start corid right away

I totally agree with Abraga, four weeks is pretty fast for a worm load to mature to the point of killing a bird. The vet may not have looked for cocci and just agreed so not to look incompetent. Go to TSC and buy some Corid, dilute it and tube it down the gullet. The chick is probably pretty dehydrated and needs liquid. If you can find some Kaytee baby bird feed you can also tube feed that later after getting some fluids into the bird. Canned cat food can also be watered down and tube fed also.