- Apr 29, 2012
- 8
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Hi Everyone...Im new to the forum and SO EXCITED to have found this site. My chickens have owned me for 6 years now. I adore them which is why I am freaking out right now with some baby chicks. The only chicks I ever bought from a feed store/breeder were my first 3 hens & 1 rooster (which was suppose to be a hen also. Since then all the 22 chickens I now have were hatched at my home the natural way. Rarely lost any chicks and the ones I did loose were not due to illness. Im not very knowlegable about illness's in chickens/chicks so I hope someone can help figure out what may be going on with a chick I bought from a breeded. Ive wanted a Cochin for a long time and found a place to buy them from. They were 1 week old when I bought them. The first time I bought 3 chicks. Two Cochins and another breed (coco mooran?). One cochin and the other breed died after 4 days and I thought that it may have been due to me and the way I was heating them. I have never used artificial heat because I always had the momma hens keeping babies warm. Ok, went back to breeder and bought 3 more cochins. Brought in one of my silkies to take care of them (they r in my house). I have become neurotic with them since loosing the other babies so Im checking on them constantly. Yesterday mornng I noticed one of the cochins seemed a bit sluggish and just not right. Looked like it was sleeping while standing up. Checked all their behinds and none of them have pasty butt. These chicks are now 2 weeks old. I put save a chick electrolytes in their water. It was/is eating (hand fed it a few times). Late yesterday afternoon I went to check on the babies and one of the cochins was DEAD! Have no idea what happened as it was not the sick looking one. I was totally shocked..Today I have been checking the babies every 10 min. The 2 week old sickly chick looks to be unsteady on its feet, still sluggish, looks like its sleeping while standing, and now it is doing this weird thing with its head where while its eyes are closed her head does these tiny jerks to one side constantly. I am FREAKING OUT that it has merecks disease and that all the other chicks/silkie are going to die. I dont know what to do and I have no idea what may be wrong with this baby. I have given it sub q lactated ringers (under skin..do wildlife rehabbing and have lots of medical experience), fed it some of the electrolyte water a couple times, made a yogurt mixture with the chick starter (non medicated) and fed with syringe a few times. I have seen it eat and drink on its own. Does anyone know what may be wrong with this baby? Any suggestions of what I should do for treatment? Does Merecks affect chicks at 2 weeks old? I really really dont want to loose any more chicks and I REALLY want this little one to make it..I just need to know what may be wrong with it and what to do for it. Thank you so much for any info. I really hope someone has some for me.
***Just went in to check on chicks. The sickly chick was collapsed underneath momma and hadnt even died yet..I basically held it until it went completely unconcious and now it is in a little box away from the others. I would still like to know if this seemed like merecks or what may have been wrong with it. 4 (I think) of the cochins from the same breeder have now died. Am I doing something wrong???Im so sad
***Just went in to check on chicks. The sickly chick was collapsed underneath momma and hadnt even died yet..I basically held it until it went completely unconcious and now it is in a little box away from the others. I would still like to know if this seemed like merecks or what may have been wrong with it. 4 (I think) of the cochins from the same breeder have now died. Am I doing something wrong???Im so sad
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