Emergency! Barred Rock sleeping like others who died

Finn Ice

In the Brooder
Jul 21, 2018
10
15
29
South Carolina
We have a month and a half old Barred Rock and she's smaller than our other four Rocks and has fewer feathers.
Up until yesterday she was very active and seemed perfectly healthy. Yesterday we saw her standing still a lot and kinda bobbing in place as she breathed. This morning she wouldn't leave the house and was standing with her eyes closed and she hasn't eaten since (about three hours so far). We got her to drink a little.
This has happened before with two other chicks. About two weeks after we first got the chicks, the bonus mystery chick stood still all day and then died during the night. We don't know what kind she was but she was very small compared to the others. And then two days ago a Red Ranger didn't move much and had her eyes closed. Yesterday I saw her standing on a ledge (roughly 18" off the ground) and maybe ten minutes later she was on the ground dead. Is it possible she died from the fall?
The Barred Rock doesn't look ill or injured in any way. We don't know what could have caused the sudden change. The only thing we can think of is the change in weather we've had. It went from low 90s to mid/low 70s. It's also rained several times but we've gotten them under cover and put the heat lamp on.
Her poop is a little runny and tinged dark green.
We can sometimes hear a grinding/popping noise coming from her, like Rice Crispies in milk. What could that be?
We've taken her away from the others and put her in a small bucket with aspen shavings and a heating pad under it in case she's cold.
We've given all the chicks non-medicated feed and fresh fruit and veggie scraps from our garden. And we've accompanied the plain water with vitamin water and apple cider vinegar water too.
We just moved to empty land and they're in a new coop with a fenced in dirt and grass area.
Right now she is sitting down (she was only standing before) and sleeping.
The remaining ten chicks seem fine and active.
We don't have money to take her to a vet so any home remedy suggestions are welcome.
Thanks!
 
Sounds like coccidiosis...

I would treat the really ill girl with a drench dose and the others with a treatment dose of Corid. :fl

I would skip the acv and vitamins during treatment... the Corid works by blocking thiamine (a B vitamin) to slow the growth of the coccidia (or starve it out), while the chicks develop some better immunity.
 
Here's the poop, it's about an hour old.
IMG_3808.JPG

And here's her butt, which I'm pretty sure didn't look like that yesterday.
IMG_3809.JPG

And here she is.
IMG_3811.JPG
 
I would absolutely treat for coccidiosis. Treatment is safe, and as you've seen, this can take them down quickly. Get some Corid ASAP and start treatment. Treat them all, give the obviously sick ones an oral drench in addition to the medicated water. Corid is widely available, either powder or liquid, usually in the livestock/cattle section of your feed store.
Drench dosing: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/corid-oral-drench-instructions.1211991/
Treatment dosing, use the severe outbreak dosing:
900x900px-LL-a380cae7_Untitled.jpeg
 
Thanks for the replies! I was really hoping there'd be a natural cure, like herbs. If it is coccidiosis, why don't all the chickens have symptoms?
Our neighbor has guineas that "owned" our land before we came. Could they be a factor?
Also, she sneezed several times this morning, might she have a cold?
 
Chickens that are exposed will build resistance to coccidia, young chicks have no resistance. Coccidia live in the soil, they are everywhere. Sneezing could be something, or nothing but caused by dust.
 
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I want to help, but I have never dealt with coccci or coccidiosis before.

I know you said 4 weeks old, the poo sample appears to me to have round worms, but their life cycle I believe is 6 weeks.

She is adorable I wish you luck saving her! :fl
 
I think there are many wonderful ways to naturally treat and prevent a lot of things and you will find many here.

When it comes to cure of parasites I think the only natural thing you can do is go to the feed store.

But herbs for health and well being as well as treatment of injuries and wounds you will find a gold mine of info here!
 
I like to treat as naturally as possible as well. But sometimes you have to bite the bullet and do what's best for the chickens. I just dealt with Coccidia myself two weeks ago. Lost 10 chicks in two days. I was able to save the remaining 5...but it was terrible. Lethargic and just sitting still like this one. After 1 day of treatment with the Corid, there was VAST improvement in all my babies. Babies are more susceptible because of the lower immunity. I even did a few drops of the Corid in their beaks to get a jump start. Good luck!!
 

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