I am devastated, please help!

[GldnValleyHens]

I am mourning right now for the loss of my IB peachick. He died today at 3 weeks of age. I don't know why, but here all of his symptoms and history.
From the first day I got them, both peachicks were slow and quiet, not rambunctious like my other chicks. They grew nicely, getting their wings and ate and drank. The other chicks as they grew kind of trampled and jumped on my peas, and pecked at them. The other pea was more energetic than the one that died, and both would jump out of the brooder when I opened it. I turned their heat lamo off after a week or so, because the others were getting so hot, and the weather was humid and 90 degrees out. I noticed yesterday that the IB was acting more sluggish and slow than usual, and this morning he was just lying in the straw in the wire cage I had put them all in, with the heat lamp because it had gotten colder. He wouldn't stand or make noise, and I tried to dip his beak in the water in case he was dehydrated. I gave him a few drops of colloidal silver, and a little while later tried dipping again. His neck began sticking in a backwards position, and flopped all over the place. Then, he began to spasm in a way and would stiffen out and flop around. He did this once or twice, then closed his eyes and died in my hands. Is this something that happens? I had two other chicks, a silkie and spitzhauben die earlier last month with similar behavior. Is it viral or bacterial?! I washed out the dishes after they died and just switched brooders for the remaining chicks and the peachick I have left is doing ok.

 

[chickens really]

It almost sounds like Hepatitis ?....I think thats what it's called ?.....Try googling that...

 

[strangeanimal]

there is a desease that describes that , it is viral , not bacterial , forgot the name but that turning of the head with all the symptoms you mention is a critical condition ! Call a vet Asap ! They need antibiotics for this , nothing else will help . I know the name of the desease in Dutch and look it up in English ! There you will find a list of symptoms , name of desease plus that its viral or bacterial ( this one viral ) and you also find which treatment , when you give them the treatment make use of some natural sugar , this helps to absorb the medicin better and quiker ( grapesugar ? how is it called ?? that sugar you have from when you feel a bit tired , dextro energy , do not know wether it is known in your country ?? But usually the antibioticum is called enroflaxine ) I will google but gotta go now , I'm back about in 4 hours , plse call ur vet , seriously , this is a bad illness , deadly yet good treatable !!! wish you strenght and courage in your loss and in the help of curing the rest !
regards

 

[strangeanimal]

It almost sounds like Hepatitis ?....I think thats what it's called ?.....Try googling that...

no it (luckily ) is not hep. , it is something else , very common in smaller birds btw but I only know the name of desease in dutch , I will be back to this within 4 hours tops !

 

[GldnValleyHens]

Yeah I am not sure about the hepatitis thing, but the problem I have is that we don't have an avian vet near us, or any vet knowledgeable of chickens. Jeez what do I do? He only had his head twisted for a short while before he died and I could move it back, he was just stretched out and still.

 

[chickens really]

Ok....

 

[GldnValleyHens]

Is there a disease beside cocci that is like this? I had a hen die sort of the same way, and my neighbor had 3 hens slowly die off like this but it took awhile for them to die. My chicks just die within a day. I don't know what is going on, but it can't be viral can it if the majority of my chicks are doing great.