Help! What's wrong with my chicks?

[OzarkChooks]

I have a group of almost 6 week old chicks. We have been having them outside in a chicken tractor in the afternoon. Then back in their brooder with a heat plate for the evening. It's been HOT. Well, there seemed to be some miscommunication between my husband and I and they ended up in the coop for the night during a storm. Storm brought cool weather. It was their first night away from their heat source. I noticed the next day that a couple of them were all fluffed up and hunched a little bit. I have had them inside with a heat lamp ever since. Unfortunately they all look like that now. It's been a couple days and I don't know what is wrong with them.

No blood in poop. No wheezing. No discharge from nostrils. They appear to still be eating and drinking normally.

Any ideas what is wrong with them? I would hate to lose them.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

How cold was it when the temperature dropped? Do you have a picture of them fluffed and hunched? How big is the brooder that they are in inside and can they get away from the heat? You said lamp are you using the red bulbs or the clear 100 watt? At 6 weeks they should not need any heat if they are inside your house.

 

[OzarkChooks]

I should clarify, I gave them a heat plate. The ecoglow. They have the heat plate on one side and their food and water on the other side. There is also a perch. I will get a picture of them huddling in the morning. They were used to the temperature being in the high 80s and 90s. Then the evening of the storm it was in the low 60s. My husband wants to give them corid just in case.

I have a smaller group of 8 week old chicks that was sharing the coop with them and they are perfectly fine.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Please post some photos of your chicks, their housing and of their poop.

How long have you been letting them on ground? Likely Coccidiosis, do you have any Corid on hand?

 

[coach723]

Agreed, I would start them on Corid. It's unlikely that the cooler temps would have caused any issues at 6 weeks, much more likely that it's coccidiosis.

 

[OzarkChooks]

Please post some photos of your chicks, their housing and of their poop.

How long have you been letting them on ground? Likely Coccidiosis, do you have any Corid on hand?

My husband started them on corid last night. As a precaution. Should we treat the whole flock?

Here is their pen. It is actually an extra large dog crate that we turned into a broody hen pen. Normally they would not be in here, they would be out in a tractor on pasture. But I had no where else for them to go.

There are 9 of them. 6 Russian Orloffs and 3 Bielefelders. The orloffs are very tall and normally stand quite straight up. But now they are all fluffed up and hunched down. It's like their necks just disappeared over night.

 

[coach723]

The one dropping you picture looks pretty normal. Sitting fluffed or hunched up is a common symptom of coccidiosis. If your other birds are adults and are acting normally they may not need to be treated. When birds are exposed, once recovered they have some resistance to the same strains in the future. Keep an eye on the droppings, see if you see any that look abnormal. The Corid is very safe, so I would continue the treatment, see if they perk up in the next few days.

 

[OzarkChooks]

I have been looking for any bloody poop but I can't find any, from chicks or adults. Can I give nutridrench or electrolytes while they are on corid?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Something to also consider is sitting out in a wire dog crate provides no protection from little drafts. I know they're inside, but in my house at least when the a/c or fan kicks on you can feel little cold drafts throughout the house. Whatever the case, I agree that the outdoor temperature change is not the culprit here.

 

[coach723]

No vitamins while on Corid, it could make the medication less effective. You can give vitamins once the treatment is complete.