Cornish Cross 4 weeks can't stand, watery poo, not eating...

[Butterflychicks]

This is my first time with chickens and I have Cornish Cross chicks.

They started in one barn under a heat lamp and starter crumble, then at three weeks I moved them to another barn, with an outdoor area for when they are ready. I also changed their food to a mash. Both foods have been medicated. They still have the heat lamp and plenty of space to move if they get too warm.

I lost one chick in week one, which I kind of expected. I felt quite happy to only loose one. It couldn't walk very well and had heavy breathing.

Now that they are in the new barn, with more space to move I noticed that one of them was not moving. I came back later in the day and noticed that another had also stopped getting up when I came in. All the other birds are quite active and even run at my feet when I walk in. They are on a bedding of shavings and they all seem quite happy and healthy, except these two?

I have separated these two birds from the rest of the flock as they were being walked all over. One is still eating and drinking and today his poop seems to be back to normal, but still can't stand. I am restricting his food intake and am having to give him water via a dripper.

The first one is now eating very, very little, yesterday he was not eating at all and I am having to feed them both water. His poop was pastey but now is very watery and white. His breathing seems normal.

I am wondering if there is anything I can do for these birds, is there any type of medication I can give them to get their strength back and their legs to work properly? Or is it best to end it for them. Although they are meat birds with a short life, I would hate to kill them for no reason and have to throw them away.

Also, over the course of today, the worse of the two has started to cry if I move him, but does seem to have a little more life in him than yesterday.

As for the rest of the flock, I have learnt to restrict their food as they seem to be gannets if left to feed themselves and realise that I may have learnt this a little too late for these two birds. I am wondering if overeating is the problem here, or is there something else I should be aware of?

Any help or suggestions would be great, thanks

 

[Tangerine farmer]

I have no GOOD suggestions. But I have had (2) 5 month old pullets who had begun to walk with a limp, then within a couple of days couldn't walk at all.. they had to flop around with their wings doing the work.

I tried terramycin, tylan 50, Sulmet (supposed to kill coryza and friends) , Denagard (tiamutin supposed to cure mycoplasma and friends) and now Penicillin (2 hours ago)... I had thought it was a mycoplasma that got into the joint. But if that were the case the amount of antibiotics they have had would have done something.

If it's Staph in the joint, then there is a possibility it could clear up with the penicillin. I will try to look for your post when I see if we have results from the shot.

I hope for the best and then I can sing that penicillin is the cure for my ills and possibly yours.

In other words .... I too, have no idea what is getting to our chickens.

 

[Butterflychicks]

Thanks,

They are both eating much better today. I think that they may have gotten a little dehydrated before I realised that there was a problem with them. Neither of them are walking but they do seem to look a little better in that they are not as listless as they were yesterday.

I have been gently force-feeding them both water, small amounts at a time, in the hope that water, at least, would do something to revitalise them. It does seem to have bought them back from the brink of death, I really thought one was a gonner yesterday.

It is so strange that they sit sideways, slightly tilted over to one side. Sadly they poop where they are sitting, so I have also been picking them up and wiping them down with a warm damp cloth, so that they are not laying in the poop. Doing what I can to keep them clean and as healthy as possible. Every bit helps right? !!!

I read that the watery poop could be due to the lack of food and one is making much more normal looking poop today since he has been eating.

I also read that if the Cornish Cross is left to feed itself, which mine pretty much were ( food available 24/7) that they grow too fast for their bones and can't support their own weight, hopefully I have caught them before they have done any damage to their internal organs!

I have restricted the feeding time to all of the other chicks and have to say, they are all looking so much better today, now that they are not eating all day long. They are running about like crazy little things and just looking so much better overall!

I just wonder if restricting their diet will help these two particular birds to control their weight and enable them to start to walk again, or if there is some sort of additive that I can give them to help strengthen their bones?

Thanks for your advice, where do I get penicillin from?

 

[Tangerine farmer]

I got mine from my horse vet. You might try calling a regular vet, but they will want to see the little sick one, and there goes the $$$. I know some of the horse catalogs sell it.. but darn it I think you need a prescription! A horse vet may me more willing to sell you a syringe 3cc full, if you show him your chick. Sort of avoiding the office fees and the pet exam etc.

You could call a few feed stores, they sometimes have it, but ???

Let's see if mine works. I will let you know and if it does then you may have to run around and do something to get it.

But if they are running around like crazy you may be out of the woods and just have the fat Cornish problem!

 

[babsbag]

Quote:
Have you looked at the symptoms for Marek's Disease? I hate to say that word, but it is a definate possibility.

I hope they get better.

 

[Butterflychicks]

Great idea to ask a Horse Vet, as it happens, I have a very good friend that is one... I never thought to ask him about the birds because we have spoken before and he told me he knows nothing about them... so I put him out of my mind... I am going to call him right now... Thank you, will let you know what he says.

I will also look up Maleks disease, not sure what that is, but it doesn't sound good! Let's hope it's not that then!

Thanks again!