Yay, Fella! We’re all rooting for you and the flock. No apologies are necessary. This is getting too complicated and I’m afraid of giving bad advice now. My thought was that the Corid would not do its job while Thiamin was given. But if Sav-a-Chick helped Fella, I’d be inclined to keep at it.
Thoughts
@Wyorp Rock?
Thanks for the positive energy. This forum is amazing!
First, please pardon the long update. A lot has been going on ...
Both Fella and Featherfoot are still with me today - but I didn't think so, when I got in from work, today. The first thing I did was check on my "sickies." They were huddled together, and so still that I thought that Fella, at least, was gone. I quietly reached in and very gently touched him ... and they both reacted immediately! Apparently, I woke them up from what was probably their first sound, comfortable sleep since Thursday, last. Both birdies were instantly alert and nimble enough to sitter away, giving me "Holy What-For" for disturbing their sleep. Hurray!! They settled back down and are now talking and "foraging" along the bottom of the cardboard box I have lining their kennel.
That box insert has worked out beautifully, btw. We put a cut-down box of bedding inside the bare kennel. We ease the box out as needed, sometimes, it was twice a day) and slide it immediately into an oversized trash bag, seal it and take it straight outside. Not only does it keep the viral spread minimized, but the bare kennel floor lets me see the feces - and that they've been "outside."
So, there do not appear to be any more "critical" cases coming up, and the two left are on the mend. Both are eating, preening, babbling, with no indicator of their near-death experience other than some seriously ruffled plumage - and that's only on Fella. Even their waste seems almost normal again. Not quite... but definitely getting there.
So, the two indoors came off the Corid last night. The outside birds end their 5 day treatment today. We'll scrub and refresh their waterers tomorrow, only with no Corid. To counteract the effects of the Corid, I have both a bovine B12 vitamin and a B heavy multivitamin designed for poultry. Both mix into their water. Any recommendations on which I should use? Or should I just go ahead and give everybody the Chick Saver that Fella got?
So, we're on the mend, but I know better than to think that this episode is over and done with. The empty coop outside and my poor little Peanut in the fridge is proof of believing that foolishness. If all goes according to plan, I will be taking him in for a necropsy, tomorrow, hopefully to New Bolton. That should tell me where we stand. If it's coccidiosis, then we will simply be totally revamping the coops and runs, which includes upgrading to an automatic watering system much earlier than I had planned to or can afford, but needs to be done. If it's Marek's, well, I'm still praying that it's nothing like Marek's, but if it is, we'll be testing all of the remaining birds before any decision is made to cull. My Gramma always told us not to "borrow worry from tomorrow," so I'll cross that bridge if and when I come to it.
And thank you, EVERYONE, for getting me this far. I've been an absolute basket case here at home!
PS - As of yesterday, all seven of "The Boys" outside are crowing again. At one point, this weekend, we'd been down to just one - The grown Nankin in the separate, above-ground coop. I have never been more grateful to have irritated neighbors before in my LIFE!