California - Northern

[zooweemama]

You mentioned they sounded rattly when you held the chick to your ear. I would go to the feedstore and get something water soluble for respiratory. I had some rattly chicks a few months ago and treated them with Sulmet. The breathing problem went away and they seemed fine. I then treated all the chicks I had at that time and the next batch as well.

Deb

Thanks! They are closing their eyes a LOT now. I haven't noticed them doing that before. I will try to take a video.

 

[zooweemama]

Here is a video of my babies. I put down pine chips today because they are not going outside and the poop build up was getting crazy on those puppy pads.

They are not hot- unless 78 is hot to a chick. if you look at my Orp you can see him cracking his mouth too. What I wasn;t able to capture is the eye closing thing. Would it be safer to treat for a resp infection first?

The Orp is now craning his neck up and forward a bit- I guess to take a deeper breath? He doesn't do it every breath but every couple of breaths he does. And closes his eyes around the time he does it. Seems like he is getting worse. I am so bummed that no one has anything to share with my on my thread in the emergency thing.

I am just so scared all 6 of them will get it.

 

[WasabiChicki]

Here is a video of my babies. I put down pine chips today because they are not going outside and the poop build up was getting crazy on those puppy pads.

They are not hot- unless 78 is hot to a chick. if you look at my Orp you can see him cracking his mouth too. What I wasn;t able to capture is the eye closing thing. Would it be safer to treat for a resp infection first?

These are natural remedies I swear by for all animal & human ailments that I have used w/ great success. (I don't do antibiotics or pharmaceuticals for my animals & very rarely people. Hope this can be of some help!

Echinacea/goldenseal tincture in their water: 5 drops per pint for babies. You should see great improvement by day 3. (Change water & add fresh tincture daily.) Feed them slippery elm gruel for a respiratory issue, or offer them Usnea to peck at (that light green moss that hangs in the trees). I like to offer cultured foods if the poop is a concern... Whey, yogurt etc. I have had chicks & chickens looking like they were not going to make it & they all had full recoveries within a couple days of using goldenseal (a natural antibiotic), but, I have never dealt with Gapeworm either... I make my own dewormer. Good Luck!

 

[chiqita]

Awwwwwwww Ron you were nominated and won an award for BYC Spirit?? Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yay Ron!

 

[debs_flock]

Didn't you just start putting the chicks outside? It takes a while for the life cycle of the gapeworm eggs in order for the bird to be affected.

Symptoms - yawning, grunting, gasping, sneezing, coughing, choking, loss of energy, loss of appetite, weakness, emaciation, closed eyes, head shaking, frequent throwing of head forward with mouth open to gasp for air and convulsive shaking of the head.

Your chicks looked fine in the video.

If you heard rattling or bubbly breathing, I would just treat for respiratory infection and keep an eye on them for now.

DISCLAIMER - I am not a vet and am just relaying my own experience.

Deb

 

[chiqita]

These are natural remedies I swear by for all animal & human ailments that I have used w/ great success. (I don't do antibiotics or pharmaceuticals for my animals & very rarely people. Hope this can be of some help!

Echinacea/goldenseal tincture in their water: 5 drops per pint for babies. You should see great improvement by day 3. (Change water & add fresh tincture daily.) Feed them slippery elm gruel for a respiratory issue, or offer them Usnea to peck at (that light green moss that hangs in the trees). I like to offer cultured foods if the poop is a concern... Whey, yogurt etc. I have had chicks & chickens looking like they were not going to make it & they all had full recoveries within a couple days of using goldenseal (a natural antibiotic), but, I have never dealt with Gapeworm either... I make my own dewormer. Good Luck!

Wasabi, your quite the naturapath!

 

[Meg2000000]

Yay Ron!

Well deserved! Congrats Ron and thank you for being so awesome!

 

[zooweemama]

These are natural remedies I swear by for all animal & human ailments that I have used w/ great success. (I don't do antibiotics or pharmaceuticals for my animals & very rarely people. Hope this can be of some help!

Echinacea/goldenseal tincture in their water: 5 drops per pint for babies. You should see great improvement by day 3. (Change water & add fresh tincture daily.) Feed them slippery elm gruel for a respiratory issue, or offer them Usnea to peck at (that light green moss that hangs in the trees). I like to offer cultured foods if the poop is a concern... Whey, yogurt etc. I have had chicks & chickens looking like they were not going to make it & they all had full recoveries within a couple days of using goldenseal (a natural antibiotic), but, I have never dealt with Gapeworm either... I make my own dewormer. Good Luck!

I am more inclined to go this route. I use more natural remedies with my own family but have fallen on chemicals with the chickens/ducks because of my ignorance in chicken and duck husbandry. My ignorance is not a bad thing- I know it is normal and as the years go by I will learn more and more. Like now...with you sharing this. I am very familiar with my healthfood store- I see where some of these things can be purchased. I have only ever used some of these as teas for myself. Do you mean to say that you purchase these in their tried form and steep them yourself to make the tincture yourself? Or did you buy this already prepared in a dropper for? Did you also purchase the slippery elm at the health food store and in what form and how did you prepare it to make a gruel?

I would love to hear more of your natural dewormer too!

 

[zooweemama]

Didn't you just start putting the chicks outside? It takes a while for the life cycle of the gapeworm eggs in order for the bird to be affected.

Symptoms - yawning, grunting, gasping, sneezing, coughing, choking, loss of energy, loss of appetite, weakness, emaciation, closed eyes, head shaking, frequent throwing of head forward with mouth open to gasp for air and convulsive shaking of the head.

Your chicks looked fine in the video.

If you heard rattling or bubbly breathing, I would just treat for respiratory infection and keep an eye on them for now.

DISCLAIMER - I am not a vet and am just relaying my own experience.

Deb

They have been going outside for 2 weeks now. The first week as weather permitted. The 2nd week all day long- about 8am to 8pm. They are still hungry, and rush to me for treats...they are closing their eyes frequently. They toss their head only in a way they have like a blade of grass they were trying to get out- but I wouldn't say convulsively. Their mouths are open nearly all the time now. Do chickens just do that? Leave their mouths hanging open like that? (it's not hot in my house at all) This is my first rodeo with chickens so I have a lot of 'book' knowledge from reading but not a lot of experience.

 

[ronott1]

Quote:
Did they swallow a feather? A month ago one of my Marans was running around with a quill hanging out of her beak--I caught her and pulled it out, LOL!

I was almost longer than her...Silly chickens eat the weirdest things.

Ron