Dying Chicks

[Taure]

A friend of mine recently bought a barred rock hen and her 6 chicks. The chicks were a few weeks old (first wing feathers in). She had them a few days when the mom wanted nothing more to do with them. The chicks then started mysteriously dying one at a time. They will be fine with no visible symptoms and then maybe 6 to 8 hours before death they become very lethargic. Seeming to want to sleep standing up. They will still eat and drink on their own. No bloody stool and they are on chick saver. I took the remaining two chicks a few days ago and they were doing great. I am now down to one chick and it is appearing to sleep standing up. I fear it will be dead before morning. This is the same chick that was flying up to perch just this morning. Help?

 

[Suzie]

This is sypmtomatic of coccidiosis...you need to get some corid/amprolium as soon as possible to save the existing chick...not all chicks suffering from cocci show blood in their poop.

 

[Taure]

Everyone is sold out of this and the stores are closing near me. I grabbed tetroxy because I figured it wouldn't hurt. Can quail get this? Should I medicate them as well? They have been exposed.

Thank you for your help.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. If I couldn't get Corid, I would get sulfadimethoxine or sulmet, which are sulfa antibiotics. Oxytetracycline , according to The Merck Manual can treat coccidiosis, although not that many use it for that, and I also don't know which strains it kills. The sulfa drugs will work against the worst 2 strains, and Corid will treat all 9 or more chickens strains of cocci. Here is the link on cocci and oxy--just scale down the page to the second table: http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry/coccidiosis/overview_of_coccidiosis_in_poultry.html

 

[Taure]

Thank you for all of the helpful information. The corid will be in tomorrow. The little chick has perked up and is acting normal now with the doses of oxytetracycline. I plan to give them 5 days of the corid once it comes in.

 

[Suzie]

Thanks for updating...so pleased to hear that the chick is doing better...!