Food coloring to identify babies?

[mcornelia]

First time chicken owner here (newbie alert). We received 6 day-old white Silkie hens last Tuesday in the mail. One barely made the trip but has been nursed back to health and she is 100% now.

But we have another that went from 100% healthy to really sick in a matter of hours (it appeared). She wobbles and can barely stand for long - has been that way for about 48 hours now. She's eating just fine it appears (medicated chick starter) and I've been supplementing with plain yogurt via hand. She's pooping ok, no paste-up, but it's a bit watery; not horribly so though. So we really can't figure out why she's acting so weak 90% of the time with little "spurts" of acting fine. She'll usually just lie down, sometimes normally, sometimes on her side with her feet in the air :-o

I'm trying to identify if she's drinking but it's hard to tell. If I put a spot of McCormick's food color on each of the chicks (wing? back?) do you think that would matter to them? I would just like to easily identify each and who is eating, drinking, etc. I tried to force water down the sick one with a dropper but she gets really stressed when I try to open he mouth with it - have tried front, side, etc.

And of course if anyone has any words of wisdom outside of if food coloring is okay to use on them . . . I'm all ears. Wifey and I have spent most of the last 48 hours reading everything we can find on baby chick illnesses and the only result was I think we are further confused.

Thanks all!
Mike

 

[Masonicflock]

Years ago they used to dye the entire chick in all kinds of colors round Easter to make them more attractive for a sale. Course these chicks were always roosters lol.. Some would die and some would be fine. Sounds like a case of "droopy head" caused possibly by coxy. Are you medicating their water at all? If not Duramycin 10 should be applied immediately!! TSC and feed stores carry it. Also if using a red bulb switch to a white bulb for a few days to help the chick. Don't ask me what it is bout the white but old timers say it makes the chick look up and raise its head up. Worked for me since I stole a silkie chick back from the Grim Reapers grasp
"

 

[mcornelia]

Thanks! Will stop by Tractor Supply on the way home and grab some on the way home tonight! Follow dosage on bag for the babies or do you have a recommendation on dosage?

Definitely fighting the grim reaper on this little girl - big time!

Will probably try a drop of color on each chick's wing - surely that can't harm. (right?)

Cheers,
Mike

 

[McGobs]

A drop of color wouldn't hurt them at all...the only thing I'd be concerned with is how the others will react to the coloring? If they see a single spot of purple or red on another bird they are more than likley going to peck at it. If enough of them peck it enough times..that spot can become an injury real quick.

 

[mcornelia]

Ah - good point. Maybe I'll hold off then. Would just feel better knowing the sick one is drinking! (but certainly don't want to make her a "target")

 

[McGobs]

It may not happen. I've never done it. But I do know what happens when one of my girls gets a bald spot, or an injury...the rest of them just go after that spot and eventually its an open wound.

 

[sarahswank]

I ended up using black nail polish on my chicks wings and back, and just did different line marks. maybe 1 dot, 2 dos, 3 dots, 1 line, 2 lines, 3 lines? Black shouldnt spark as much intrest as red. and every chick having marks means that when they do peck at it, they arent all picking on one in particular, since they all have the "trigger" on them.

only thing is make sure to hold them for 30 seconds or so after painting, until they dry... that way they dont ingest any by trying to clean their feathers.

 

[Masonicflock]

Mix the powder in til it looks like lemonade. no certain dosage is required

 

[bbchickies]

Im a newbie but she could have a slightly splayed leg if she is still walking funny. splayed leg is a deformity that might make her walk weird- what do you use for bedding? Good luck!

 

[mcornelia]

Thanks all so much! The Durvet Duramycen 10 cured her! Wow! I thought for CERTAIN she was going to die that second night. Here are the details in case this helps anyone in the future:

Symptoms:

• Lethargic, wants to lay most of the time.
• Walks 6 to 12 inches and then plops back down.
• Lays on side, sometimes on back with feet in the air (thought for sure she was going to die any second)
• Spins and has a hard time getting up
• Legs seem fine - not spraddled or splayed
• Eats & drinks normally
• Poops seem a little watery (no noticeable blood)
• Have fed all 6 silkie chicks medicated chick starter since day 1 (FYI)

What we did:

• 7 day treatment of Durvet Duramycin 10.
• Durvet's instructions on package for 800mg dosage: Mixed as 1/2 tablespoon per 1/2 gallon of fresh water. Made fresh every 24 hours. This was left available to her (and all chicks in the brooder) as their only source of water.
• Seperated her for the first three days of treatment into a smaller box inside the larger brooder. Mainly because her sisters kept trampling her and knocking her over.
• Hung a feather duster on the side of her little box which she loved to crawl under. We hung it so it was just barely touching the bottom so she didn't get tangled up in it.
• Hand fed a mixture of yogurt and medicated chick starter, watered down with some of the Duramycin liquid (she really liked the yogurt and would eat until her crop was full) about 2 to 4 times a day. Left her access to the chick starter in a feeder and her own waterer 24/7
• At day 4 she was strong enough to go back in with her sisters for short periods and by day 5 I would say she was 80% better so we moved her back in with them.

It took 72 hours before we saw ANY improvement. And actually at 24 and 48 hours we thought maybe it wasn't working. But our research and the Durvet packaging suggested it would take 72 hours so we tried not to worry. Our local vet said the 7 day treatment should be perfect. Day 6 she was 90% better and day 7 she looked 100% back to normal.

Hope this helps! Huge thanks to Masonicflock for the suggestion. Saved our baby girl from certain death!

Cheers,
Mike