Arkansas folks speak up.........

[arllcountrygirl]

Quote:
Would love to see pics when you get the chance.

Amanda, are the hatching chicks Lavenders Cochins?

the lav cochins are suppose to hatch this week

looks like I might have 3 or 4

 

[verycherry]

Cool, I hope they hatch and do well. I'd really love to get some from you after you get what you need for yourself. I know it might be a while.

Ok, just in case you were wondering, these two are NOT related, lol! They look like they could be don't they? This little Silkie chick has a case of cocci so I had it on the table giving it some Kefir for it's stomach (it loves Kefir by the way), and my cat just wouldn't quit trying to lay by it and nuzzle it. Of course, I'd never take my eyes off of them for a minute, but it was just too good of a photo op to pass up. The chick seemed to like the cat too, and nuzzled up under her arm. I also got a pic of the cat giving her a "kiss" on the head, but it turned out a bit fuzzy.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

That is an awesome photo Cherry! LOL that chick is almost invisible against your kitteh!

Ok, somebody tell me about cocci. I got 3 little chicks this past weekend and they're very sweet, but something is just not right. I can't put my finger on it. One of them had a little snotty on it's beak. They seem just a little too tired. I mean they're sweet, but they're not very active at all. The first thing I thought was maybe cocci. I did pick them up from the fair and it's possible that a cootie might have jumped on them.

So where would I find this Kefir? Is it a cure? I understand the cocci is the easiest to treat and I hope it's not even that, but if it's something, I'd rather it be treatable. WhatdoIdo?

 

[verycherry]

Coccidiosis is a parasitic infection in the intestine. It can be in the upper, middle or lower half of the intestines, so you may or may not see blood in the poop, but often you do. Medicated chick starters have amprolium in them to fight it, but don't really have that much. I buy unmedicated food, so I keep amprolium liquid on hand to put in the water if I have any come down with it. I've never had a chick get snotty with it though, so you might have another type of cooty...or both.

I hope not both.

 

[verycherry]

Oh, and Kefir isn't a cure. I make it at home for us, the family, but give excess to the chickens and dogs. It's like super-yogurt. We just love it. It's really helped my daughters stomach condition. She used to have reflux and stomach trouble almost daily.

Here is a really good video I found on youtube.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

ohhh I thought cocci was like a chicken cold! I haven't noticed any runny poops. What I have noticed is that the chicks seem a little lethargic and seem a bit ruffled. A couple of them don't smell especially sweet either and that scares the bejeezus out of me after our last meetup. One of them had a boogey nose. It seems to me like a cold. I know that birds are suceptable to colds...at least I've read that budgies are because I've been told by professionals that if you have a cold or flu, don't kiss the budgie.

Maybe nothing's wrong...maybe the chicks I sniffed had stepped in poo...maybe the marans are just so laid back that they seem lethargic to me. I know that their eyes are different. More almond shaped and that kinda freaks me out....and they're a couple or three weeks old or so and their feather's are growing out and starting to look gangly. Maybe I worry too much...but for Pete's sake I've waited on Marans for ever!!!

 

[juliechick]

Chicky, go under the Emergencies and Diseases section. Under one of the sticky threads there is a link to symptoms of chicken diseases. This might help you figure out what it is. Good luck!

 

[verycherry]

It sounds a lot like Coryza. You can vaccinate for it. If your chickens get it, they usually get over it. Some never miss a beat, but some take a while to recover and the disease lingers. During that time, they can be carriers and infect others. There's a great article about Coryza in Fancy Fowl USA by Dr. Peter Brown. He says to vaccinate twice, can't recall how far apart, but it was at least a few months apart I believe, and then any birds that still show symptoms are your carriers. You know, there are some chickens that are very resistant and can just shake everything off, and some that will get everything. Because of this, I think more people are starting to breed for resistance rather than culling imidiately for this stuff. I can see where that could work over time. I mean, I'd much rather have a flock of chickens that I knew was resistant to diseases, than have to vaccinate each year and never ever let another chicken or chicken owner on my property for fear that they might bring something in. There would always be a risk, always be a wild bird to bring something in, or you could catch something at a show or swap. Give me resistant chickens any day! I hope your little ones can shake it. I'd give them a Sulfa drug. That will help prevent secondary infection. If they have cocci too, that will help get rid of it as well.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Nope nope...nope, not Coryza. Noooooo!!!!

It was only one boogey and might have just came out after the bird was drinking. I have opened all chicks beaks and there is no mucous, no swelling on the face, no sneezing or watery eyes.

Nonetheless, I will be on constant vigil, and when I get home from work today, I'm going to put them in a clean brooder with fresh bedding and bleach their dishes. I have never had a sick bird *knocks on the wood* I won't be visiting my outside birds without totally desanitizing myself after tending to the chicks in the brooder inside. I will do constant sniff checks of the chicks until I am satisfied that all is well. They're getting polyvisol without iron in their water, which is something I do after hatching for the first couple of weeks.

Thanks for the info...scary scary info, but thank you!

 

[verycherry]

Didn't mean to say a "bad word" and scare you! I know the feeling though. Everytime one of mine sneezes, I stare at them and wonder, lol! I had pox last year, and that was a nightmare, but I didn't lose a single bird. Even the chicks breezed through it. I've thought about vaccinating for things, but I'm just not sure. There are mixed opinions. In fact, I have the pox vaccine in my fridge, and was planning on giving it, but had to wait until my chicks were a bit older, then I hatched more chicks, then more, then more! You get the idea. I wanted to be sure and include everyone, since the virus is shed for about a week after vaccination, and I just never could do that. Looks like I got lucky though (knock on wood) as the mosquito season is almost over. I have it though, and if I see the first sign of it, I'm ready! It's a slow moving virus, so I'll still have time to vaccinate any not showing signs.

Anyway, hope it's nothing and your chicks are fine and dandy.