HELP 1.5-2 week old chick sneezing, odd sounding chirps, lethargic.

amh1032

Hatching
Jun 9, 2017
4
1
9
This is my first time having chicks. I picked them up almost two weeks ago from a local feed store. They were flown in, and likely 1 day to 3 days old when I first brought them home. I have no idea how long they were in transit. One of the chicks is a buff orpington, it was the smallest when they arrived and has constantly slept much more than the others, she still eats and drinks, but sleeps more.

Yesterday when I got home from work I could hear a strange sounding chirp from the brooder. It was not as high-pitched as the rest and sounded crackly or raspy for lack of better wording. I took a look and noticed the smallest chick (orpington) was stretching her neck into the air and making the strange sound. It looks as if she is "gasping for air". She also shakes her head a lot while making strange sounds. She isn't running around like the rest of her flock. She stands there with her eyes closed and her head drooping. This morning her bum is messy looking, not pasty but the feathers do not look clean, and she keeps preening the area.

The brooder is a large-dog wire crate with cardboard around the bottom 6 inches to keep the shavings in. I got the shavings from a local sawmill and I can't guarantee that there is not cedar shavings mixed into them.

They are on chick starter, and I change their water 2-3 times a day. They have a lamp and thermometer and the brooder is around 30-32 degrees Celsius.

The other birds are not showing signs of sickness at this point.

The local feed store recommended tetracycline (powdered). I purchased some but am unsure of what ratio to use for a 1 quart chick waterer. Also should I use it full strength as listed for chickens?

I hope to treat at home as the vet here is mighty $$$$
 
I just lost a chick to what sounds a whole lot like yours. Mine was about two weeks old and was born with spraddle leg so I had it separated while it's leg braces did their job. It was coming along really well when it exhibited all the symptoms yours has. Worms! It was full of them. Unfortunately, it died yesterday. Look up the cures for worms but do it quick, a chick doesn't last long with worms. Coincidentally mine was also a Buff Orpington.
 
I just lost a chick to what sounds a whole lot like yours. Mine was about two weeks old and was born with spraddle leg so I had it separated while it's leg braces did their job. It was coming along really well when it exhibited all the symptoms yours has. Worms! It was full of them. Unfortunately, it died yesterday. Look up the cures for worms but do it quick, a chick doesn't last long with worms. Coincidentally mine was also a Buff Orpington.
REALLY. ok thanks Will look into asap.
 
I thought I would post an update,

I spent a little time doing more research and it looks like worms would be unlikely, since the chicks have been inside and never been in contact with other birds, soil, etc. and there has been no evidence of worms in their droppings.

I did a little more research and her symptoms are consistent with others who claim their chicks have brooder pneumonia/ aspergillosis. I read there is no "cure" for brooder pneumonia and because I'm not a vet and likely misdiagnosed this I continue to have antibiotics in the waterer (tetracycline). I also bought a medicine syringe, and fill it with the antibiotic water, and hand feed it to the chick to ensure it is getting some at least a few times a day.

In other threads some users have stated that garlic water has helped their chicks recover from a variety of sicknesses. That gave me the idea to also syringe fed the chick garlic water at least once a day (I keep a jar in my fridge).

So far the chick has not gotten worse. And today it almost seems like she could be feeling better. She was sitting on the low perch for the first time with the other larger chicks :). So we will continue to take this one day at a time, and I'll continue to post updates. littlebird.JPG littlebird2.JPG
 
Another update: the chick seems 100% fine and back to normal. I had all chicks on antibiotic water for one week. In addition to the other things I mentioned in the previous update. She seems healthy now, although smaller than the rest.
 
Chick sneezing and lethargic do this:
Lethargic chicken/thre vit's/wet mash/E.coli
For this problem I recommend my wet mash probiotic wit...h yoguart be given.
I prefer to use the wet mash probiotic that includes chicken feed, yoguart and milk with applesauce
because chickens will eat the yoguart completely in the wet mash where as some chickens will not just eat yoguart ans it gets on their beaks, of which then they throw it away when cleaning the beaks
as you will notice if staanding too close to them eating the yoguart


So read on down where I give the recipe
some advice for helping the chicken get over the lathargice

lathargic , I would suggest and advanced case of E.coli.

With all that is noted here is some good help that I have found to work for the health of the chicken

you mention sluggish behavior that denotes he has a gut problem

So here is what I would do at this time to help him get to feeling better.

ADDED NOTE:

you can use milk as moisture additive for adult chickens but:
chicks have to use water as moisture additive.

This is for single bird and I would isolate him so you know what he is eating
if you do not have a rabbit cage you can put her in the garage in a dog carrier till she is better
I would start with the Vit E and Vit B complex and Selenium with wet mash

A) chickens do get some upset in the gut with E.coli and then it goes to a nervous disorder
natural probiotic wet mash with Vit E and Vit B complex and Selenium added immediately
basically the chicken has some nerve damage from the E.coli do this immediately
need neurolodigal vit E and Vit B complex and Selenium for E.coli and the nervous disorder Also the apple cider vineager in water

(1) 2 tbsp acv per gallon of water till chickens are well and then 2 times a week for life
for one chicken use 1 tbsp of ACV
1 pint of water

(2) immediately give the chicken 1000 mg capsule of liquid Vit E by cutting the end of the capsule and taking the vit E liquid and mix in wet mash probiotic

(2-B) total amt of capsules equals the total amt of chickens fed vit's multiply amt of recipe times amt of chickens fed it and the amt of vit's times amt of chickens given them

(3-A) also need to crush a vit B complex pill in tabsp and add tsp of water to it
put it in the chickens wet mash after it is disolved also.

(3-B) take a Selenium capsule and crush it in a tbsp and add little water to disolve it and ad to the wet mash also.

(3-C) then give this to the chicken twice a week for two weeks should see much improvement

after the chicken has eaten the wet mash probiotic clean wet feeder and restock dry crumble feed.

(4 Do three Vit's twice today then for 7 days till you see some improvement in the chicken

(5 today I would see if the chicken will eat a wet mash with the Vitamins E and B complex

(-B) THIS IS FOR ONE CHICKEN
natural probiotic wet mash
2 tbp of dry crumbles
1 tbsp flax seed meal (the kind people take)
3 tbp of milk sweet, sour or buttermilk
1 tbsp of non flavored yogurt
2 tbsp of apple sauce
put it on top so the chicken can smell and see it
mix good and put the
vit E liquid as directed in the wet mash
and crumble the Vit B complex tablet in a tabsp with litle waterand add to the wet mash
Crush the Selenium tablet and add water and add to the wet mash
**BESURE AND MIX VIT'S VERY GOOD IN WET MASH***

(6 Do this twice a day for 7 days to see if the chicken is better
then do this once a day for another week then once a week for a while
this should give the nervous system some stability and cure the bad E.coli in the gut
(6-A) they should clean it up in 20-30 minutes
this will help them get good gut flora
also put 2 tbsp of ACV in gallon of water and keep giving them this water for a week straight ( do not use ACV while giving medications.
then give it 3-5 times a week for life
Glenda Heywood Cassville Missouri

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