Can you look at this poop?

[tmh59]

Help with sick chick:

Hi, all: I have been trying my best to keep a sweet, but very tiny and lethargic chick alive for the past 48 hours and I'm hoping you can help me out. I can't seem to figure out how to help her, and it's so sad.

She is 5 days old. I got her when she was 3 days old (Thursday), as well as 5 other chicks. The rest seem to be doing fine -- they're eating, drinking, running around the pen.

But, since she arrived she laid down a lot -- compared to the others -- and seemed kind of out of it: Falling asleep under the watering nipple, pecking at the ground instead of where her food was, etc.

All of the chicks were kept in a portable puppy pen with a RentACoop heater plate, plain water and medicated food.

She spent a lot of time under the heater plate the first day/night.

And then, yesterday (Friday), she seemed like she was doing much better in the morning: Eating, drinking, walking around, but she was a little slower than the rest and quicker to get back under the heat plate. And then came the poop. It was the first time I had seen her poop. And, it was red and mucusy.

I posted a photograph on one of the chicken Facebook groups and was advised to separate her and start my whole group of chicks on unmedicated food, and put probiotics and Corrid in their water.

So, I did that -- not having a better plan.

I have two 1 liter chick nipple drinker-style containers. I put 1/2 teaspoon of Corrid and 1/2 teaspoon probiotics in each.

She's now by herself, but I don't have a second heater plate. So, she's in a cardboard box, with plain white paper towels (over puppy liners) and food and water, plus a red heat lamp. The temperature is about 95 degrees.

And, I'm wondering if it was the right thing to do?

The poor sweet chick is still pooping either watery/light brown or clear + some white and red (photos attached -- sorry for all the poop photos!) *Also* she has a bald patch on her right side that seems to be growing -- I'm not sure if the other chicks were bullying her last night or what happened.

She still lays down a lot. And, seems to be breathing heavy. Her backside/butt has also been pulsing since we brought her home. She does peck at her food and her water -- but it's really hard to tell if she's actually ingesting much.

Anyway, thank you for reading all of this! I'd be grateful for any suggestions (This is my first time having chickens so the more specific the better!) I really want her to make it. It's so heartbreaking to watch.

I also feel bad that she's separated from everyone else, and doesn't have the heat plate that she was under so often. Is there any reason to reintegrate her? Or, to give her the heat plate for a bit and give the rest the red heat lamp?

Thanks very much. (Also, if there's any other information I can provide to help us figure out what's going on, please let me know.)

 

[azygous]

She's most likely a failure to thrive victim. It's too soon to develop coccidiosis.

Do you have Poultry Nutri-drench? That's the best supplement for a FTT chick. A little sugar water (tepid) would be something to try until you can get the Nutri-drench.

Put her back with the others unless they're a danger to her, which rarely happens at this age. She will do much better with emotional support from her mates and their warmth.

 

[tmh59]

Thank you. Would you put them back on their medicated feed and stop with the Corid water?

 

[azygous]

Corid blocks thiamine. This is an important vitamin for new chicks, so yes, it might be better to stop the Corid since there's a very low probablility these chicks would have an issue with this parasite at such a young age unless they're being brooded on the ground out in your run.

 

[tmh59]

Corid blocks thiamine. This is an important vitamin for new chicks, so yes, it might be better to stop the Corid since there's a very low probablility these chicks would have an issue with this parasite at such a young age unless they're being brooded on the ground out in your run.

That makes sense. I’ll stop with the Corrid. Thank you so much for your help! I’ve been such a nervous first-timer. Here is the set up:

Also if I could ask one other Q: I don’t have Nutri-drench but I have this Rooster Booster. Think I should just put that in one of the waterers for all the chicks and plain in other? Or would you try to syringe feed her it individually?



(Just moved her back in and she ate and then tucked herself back under the heat plate so- fingers crossed!)

 

[tmh59]

Rooster Booster: Rooster Booster Vitamins and Electrolytes with Lactobacillus, Natural, 8 oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KMNTYH...abc_RWA5P21JSXCEDJS6M77R?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[azygous]

Here's an old thread debating Rooster Booster and Nutri-drench. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-electrolytes-w-lacto-bacillus.1224017/page-2 You can then decide what you want to use.

The basic differences are Nutri-drench is formulated to by-pass the liver and is metabolized immediately as opposed to Rooster Booster which has to be processed in the liver first. FTT chicks often have livers and digestive systems that are not mature enough yet to go through this regular process. Nutri-drench can revive a weak chick quickly and give it a leg up toward catching up to normal chicks.

The other main diff is Rooster Booster has electrolytes which may not be needed and the salts can build up in the chicks' systems and cause problems. Electrolytes given regularly to any age chicken can cause health issues and organ damage and should only be used in emergency.

For healthy chicks, fortified commercial feed and plain fresh water are the best things to feed, supplements to be used only as needed for chicks showing signs of deficiencies or travel shock.

 

[tmh59]

So Nutri-drench in one of the water containers they share or should I try to just give it to just the small chick by dropper or isolated in her own box?

(Thanks for your patience and answering all these questions! I really appreciate it.) She’s back with the other chicks this morning, and those are what their poops were looking like — had last changed the bedding about three hours prior.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I would direct dose the lethargic chick with Nutri-Drench, a few drops on the lower beak for her to lap up will do, once a day for a few days (and hopefully you'll see some improvement). I'd mix some into the waterer as well for a few days in addition to that.

 

[tmh59]

Thanks so much everyone!

An update. Our tiniest chick (her name is Dottie) is back with the rest of the chicks. And, they seem to get along just fine for now *knock on wood* but she still spends most of her time under the heater, and is just not putting on weight like everyone else.

This morning:
Dottie: 31 g
Barred Rock 2: 65 g
Easter Egger 1: 51 g
Easter Egger 2: 53 g
Rhode Island Red 1: 48 g
Rhode Island Red 2: 47 g

I see so much differing advice on what to do with a tiny chick --> feeding them egg yolk vs. apple cider vinegar vs. hard boiled egg vs. yogurt vs. stick to the medicated feed, so you don't overwhelm her system.

And... I don't want to do the wrong thing.

(Also: I have heard from some that they cull chicks that don't thrive at this age and I understand that philosophy but that is not something I'd like to do at this point, so any alternatives appreciated.)

Any thoughts?