Chicken seems puffed with head retracted?

[Chickentender7]

This is my 9ish week old chick (feed store said she's an amerucana, not sure) my kiddo noticed about 4 days ago that she's been a little reserved. She is kind of puffed up looking with her head kinda tucked into her shoulder area. But if I walk over to her she pokes her head up and acts somewhat normal. 70% of the time she acts totally normal. I've seen her eat and drink. She honestly seems to be doing a little better every day. It's been windy so maybe it's just a weather thing? I've seen some watery poos but also "normal" ones. Crop doesn't really feel hard. I tried smelling her breath for sour crop but I haven't been able to smell anything.
Do I need to watch for anything, treat her for anything or am I just overthinking it? I'm new so please kindly educate me

 

[BigBlueHen53]

A sick chicken will act as normal as possible for as long as possible to keep from sending out signals to predators that say, "Weak chicken here, come eat me." In her eyes, you're a potential predator, hence the "nothing to see here" routine when you approach. Trust your instincts, that is not a healthy bird. Check her crop at night after she roosts and see how it feels. It should feel full, but is it hard, squishy, doughy, gritty? Feel it again first thing in the morning, it should be empty before she has a chance to eat or drink. Report back and we'll see what the Educators have to say.

 

[Chickentender7]

A sick chickens will act as normal as possible for as long as possible to keep from sending out signals to predators that say, "Weak chicken here, come eat me." In her eyes, you're a potential predator, hence the "nothing to see here" routine when you approach. Trust your instincts, that is not a healthy bird. Check her crop at night after she roosts and see how it feels. It should feel fuul, but is it hard, squishy, doughy, gritty? Feel it again first thing in the morning, it should be empty before she has a chance to eat or drink. Report back and we'll see what the Educators have to say.

I will definitely report back in the morning but I did go out there too feel again since I haven't felt her crop since last night and it is now feeling a bit squishy, like water balloon squishy!

 

[coach723]

If you can get a picture of her droppings that would also be helpful.

 

[Chickentender7]

If you can get a picture of her droppings that would also be helpful.

Yes! I didn't think to put a photo!

 

[coach723]

If she were mine I would get her started on Corid asap. At this age coccidiosis is very common. Symptoms are lethargy, sitting fluffed up, going off food and water, runny, mucousy or bloody droppings. I see what looks like intestinal lining in that dropping and maybe mucous. Corid is very safe, and won't hurt anything even if it's something else, but coccidiosis can be fatal and can do an enormous amount of damage to the digestive tract. Better safe than sorry. You can get Corid at most feed stores and tractor supply stores, often in the cattle section (ask your store if you can't find it). It comes in liquid and powder form, either will work fine, most people prefer the liquid for convenience. Images below. Dosing is 1 & 1/2 tsp of the powder or 2 tsp of the liquid mixed in a gallon of drinking water. The medicated water should be the only water she has access to during treatment. Make it fresh daily and treat for 5 - 7 days. If she is not drinking well/normally on her own then give her an oral dose in addition to the medicated water, once a day for up to 3 days, until she's drinking normally on her own. Dosing for the oral dose is by body weight, and is here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/corid-oral-drench-instructions.1211991/
If there are other chicks with her, I would treat them all.

 

[Chickentender7]

If she were mine I would get her started on Corid asap. At this age coccidiosis is very common. Symptoms are lethargy, sitting fluffed up, going off food and water, runny, mucousy or bloody droppings. I see what looks like intestinal lining in that dropping and maybe mucous. Corid is very safe, and won't hurt anything even if it's something else, but coccidiosis can be fatal and can do an enormous amount of damage to the digestive tract. Better safe than sorry. You can get Corid at most feed stores and tractor supply stores, often in the cattle section (ask your store if you can't find it). It comes in liquid and powder form, either will work fine, most people prefer the liquid for convenience. Images below. Dosing is 1 & 1/2 tsp of the powder or 2 tsp of the liquid mixed in a gallon of drinking water. The medicated water should be the only water she has access to during treatment. Make it fresh daily and treat for 5 - 7 days. If she is not drinking well/normally on her own then give her an oral dose in addition to the medicated water, once a day for up to 3 days, until she's drinking normally on her own. Dosing for the oral dose is by body weight, and is here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/corid-oral-drench-instructions.1211991/
If there are other chicks with her, I would treat them all.
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Thank you so much!! This was what I was thinking yesterday but then she had me thinking she was fine. I'm going to treat the whole flock, can I keep them all together since they're all being treated or do I still need to separate our suspected sick one?

 

[LaFleche]

Let them all stay together to avoid additional stress.