Distressed/sick chick

[Artistickatt]

I am afraid one of my chicks is not doing well. Yesterday, my friend who has peacocks for 30 years, lost one of her chicks. These were 7 from an experienced breeder. I have noticed one of mine, who has been very subdued from the go, not being out with the others. Today, he has only wanted to sleep, wings drooping but other than that seems fine (stands well, clear eyes, eyes are alert when he isn’t trying to sleep). I have given him water by syringe (electrolytes are due here soon) the other two look great and bounding around like usual. I moved him, so they won’t bother him (because they were). I have toltrazuril ordered coming but that could be days out.

Am I doing everything I can?

 

[KsKingBee]

There is not much you can do until the Toltrazuril gets there. Cocci is the number one killer of peachicks. Since the chicks came from elsewhere and I think you said some were broody hatched, they very likely could have some protozoa in them.

 

[Artistickatt]

Thanks. I did get him the electrolytes this evening and by bedtime he looked better and ate some when I set him in the brooder with his buddies for the night. I was hoping they might lead him to food to eat, and that happened much to my surprise. Maybe we continue to limp.
The chicks were incubator hatched so I am hoping that it isn’t cocci.

 

[KsKingBee]

Being incubator hatched is no guarantee of being free of cocci as it can travel on your hands, clothing, and in the air. It does take a few weeks to weaken a chick, but when they become noticeably sick, it is usually too late to cure. The worst damage is to the organs, some of which never heals.

 

[Artistickatt]

Ok, well none of that is good news ever. I lost the chick overnight. As soon as the Toltrazuril gets here I will get it to the other chicks. Is it a good idea to treat them as though they are sick or just do the preventative dosing?

 

[KsKingBee]

We give the T for two days once per month. The dosing is the same.

 

[Artistickatt]

Gotcha and I noted you alternate with the dewormer. Is that the same for chicks? I have Albendazole coming as well. Whenever that is an appropriate time to do, is that alternating by about two weeks from the Toltrazuril?

Now all I have to do is watch this two like a hawk, and decide if I want to try to find several more chicks to go with these two (not sure I want to trust the first breeder). I didn't want to have two incase I lost one :-/. Especially now that I have the room for them all.

 

[KsKingBee]

We treat all of the chicks monthly from the time they hit the ground to the first of the year. If we have any sickly in the brooders they get treated as well.

 

[Artistickatt]

Alright, that will be what I do then. I have looked for more Peachicks locally (and we know how that went), is there a current breeder list somewhere? I am starting to look further away from Austin, I take it peachicks don't travel well like regular chicks can with shipping?

 

[KsKingBee]

Day old pea chicks are usually shipped in groups of eight. We don't ship ours until they are around three weeks old and in groups of six. The number is because they need to regulate their heat, to many and they pile in the corner and smother the ones below, too few and they pile up and do the same. So we like to ship when it is warmer weather, the chicks are a little bigger, and fewer in the box.