Dying White Leghorn Chicks Please help

[nhnanna]

NO I didn't get to talk to the vet about it this morning. We did go but the vet had an emergency so I went and got the sulmit and mixed it and got them each to drink some of the water.

I did not find bloody droppings but thier butts were like a pinkish color so I assumed it was from blood. A few of them were hunched over like a vulture so we decided to treat them with the sulmit. When I spoke to the person at the feed store, they thought it was a good idea to give it to them also. Of course that might have been just so they would make a sale. I don't know.
I was not aware that the chic starter wasn't medicated either but, I also wonder if when TSC orders these chicks, do they order them with the mists for these diseases? I guess I should ask next time I buy chicks from these places.

 

[Judy]

I do know that different TSC's buy from different hatcheries. I'd be very surprised if they spend the extra $$ to have them vaccinated for anything. Wonder if the TSC manager would know. Their clerks don't seem to be very well informed....

Good luck. Let us know how it comes out; I'm staying subscribed.

 

[nhnanna]

I do know that these came from Mt. Healthy hatchery. I just called and no one seems to know if they were vacinated or not.

I have passed on the information to my daughter and will let you know what happens.

I usually hatch my own and have never had this problem before so again, thanks to all for your help.

 

[threehorses]

I absolutely second what ddawn says. They'll definitely need to be treated as well - not just the yogurt. But they're going to need the good bacteria in the yogurt to get their systems back in order. Give that every other day after your last day of treatment for at least a week.

Also make sure that they're not pooping in their water or roosting (and thus pooping) in their feeders. (Mine do this this year - makes me crazy.) Put the waterer up on a couple of bricks, and give them something else on which to roost if they are.

I'd say this sounds like a textbook case of coccidiosis with a possible secondary little bacterial imbalance going on because of it. That's why their vents are red - they're irritated from the diarrhea. That's why the pedialyte or gatorade is a good idea.

Pretty much all that dawn said - cheers to that.

 

[nhnanna]

Are you saying not to give them the yogurt while on the sulmit?
There water and food dishes are raised to keep shavings and poop out of them.

 

[Judy]

Yogurt never hurts, and is fine while on an antibiotic, probably helps.

The problem is the antibiotics kill off the good intestinal flora as well as the bad, so trick is to give yogurt afterwards to restore them. True for people too. There are other sources, such as kefir, lactobacillus milk, good buttermilk, etc., but these are sometimes sugared, plus it's not so certain chicks tolerate regular old cow's milk well, so people go with the plain yogurt for chicks.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Thanks, but you added some good info here.

Love BYC! I would have known none of this without it, and someone is always around to fill in gaps or correct us when we blow it!

 

[nhnanna]

ok, we will continue with the yogurt as well as the sulmit. Thanks

 

[threehorses]

The only antibiotic where you'd want to withhold using yogurt (or any additional calcium or milk products other than what's in their feed) is the -----mycin families of meds. With terramycin, etc, extra calcium binds with the medicine and makes it inactive.

Otherwise, I like to treat during and then after with probiotics. My rule of thumb is that for every day you treat with an antibiotic, treat that times 2 after the antibiotics stop but every other day.

7 days of antibiotics = 14 days of probiotics given every other day

Also if you're giving oral antibiotics, try to treat at the opposite time of the day with probiotics. I.e. fresh antibiotic water in the morning, probiotics in the evening.

(Personally I prefer injectable antibiotics always because I know the dosage and who's getting what - but that's another post.)


Nathalie

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Again, good point.

In people, you withhold milk or milk products, and antacids, for one hour before the tetracycine/terramycin, and two hours afterwards.

Chickens' digestion is quite different from ours, of course, so I don't know whether this would work for them.