HELP!

[Dubay]

We have many mixed breed brown egg layer chicks. We have lost 2 of the 8 week old in the last two days. Now have one Barred Rock who is not doing well. Do not feel a crop enlargement. Likes to keep its head/neck down between its legs. Has pooped this AM. Just not doing well. Sits with its head down Help! What is going on?

 

[emmaie892000]

Is its head twisted entirely under it's body, or is it just down?
I'm not very experienced with diagnosing illness like this in chickens, but I'll bump this up so somebody can hopefully help you.
It's hard, because these are symptoms for a variety of illnesses.

 

[Dubay]

She hold her head down and rests it between her feet. I can manually hold her head up and it will stay that way for a few seconds then back down. She acts like she is having a "seizure" of the neck after I manually hold it up.

 

[Dubay]

After I let go this activity last just a sec. or two before it stops. Its just the head and neck that shake.

 

[emmaie892000]

It sounds like she may have a bit of wry neck, but also something else. Did the others who died have the same symptoms?

 

[Dubay]

Do not know. Had not noticed this with the others.

 

[emmaie892000]

You can look up wry neck in the search bar and see if that sounds familiar. Other than that, I'm not sure.

 

[Dubay]

Have had thick chick in the house since early AM. At times it is fine. It's poop is now red. Sometimes when it is up it is like it is having muscle spasms in the neck and can't control it. It has eaten. Any ideas?

 

[emmaie892000]

Blood in poop often means cocci. It's common in chicks.
You're going to want to treat with Corid. Look up "cocci" in the search bar on these forums and you'll find dosage and treatment options. Even if you lose this chick it will be important to treat, because it will spread within a flock. It's important to treat soon.
Looking up your symptoms, I also found AE. It's most common in younger birds and could be the reason for the head and neck tremors.

http://beautyofbirds.com/avianencephalomyelitis.html

 

[Dubay]

There was only 3 red (didn't look like blood) stools. Had it in the house all morning in a box. It ate. Poop back to normal. Started vinegar in water and Poly vits. Was flying out of the box so took it back to the barn in a bigger box. When I went out and hour later it had flown out of that one as well. So I put it back in with the other 90 or so. Will start to treat for cocci.