INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[jhfamily5]

Okay so I went out this morning and my little hyperactive white silkie is lethargic. Gasping for air, and is holding her wings out. I gave her a bit of poly vi sol and put her back under her mother. The only change I made out there was letting the momma dust bathe. I used wood ash and our normal run sand. Not alot of wood ash. She was fine last evening. THey are in the barn. It got pretty cold last night but they are in with momma. I really want to save her. I don't know what else to do for her. She alomst seems aspirated, and weak from gasping. I have poultry drench and poly vi sol and electrolites in my arsenal. Should I get some kind of antibiotics? I don't want the other chicks getting it too.

How old is the chick? Is there any chance of injury? Can it walk or stand? The gasping could be pain related or it could be something respiratory. Have there been any other symptoms other than the lethargy? Any wheezing, sneezing, runny nose or diarrhea? Any other chicks with issues? The dust bathing shouldn't have anything at all to do with this. Have any other members of you flock ever had respiratory issues that they have recovered from (and possibly be carriers now)? I wouldn't put the chick back under the momma if you have an alternate heat source. The momma will care for the active birds but probably won't nurse a sick or injured chick back to health. The whole survival of the fittest thing.

 

[racinchickins]

Welcome back! Sounds like you have quite a handful. If you can, post a few pics of the guys you are trying to re-home. That seems to spur people's chicken math around here.

 

[kabhyper1]

They are 6 days old I guess. Never had any respiratory issues here. when the chick drank the elctrolite water with my help a bubble came out of her mouth. she doesn't she is wheezing a bit more like a gurgle. She wants to run around but is to weak. I have a tsc in my town. Do they sell an antibiotic. I could give her?

 

[julie0477]

They are 6 days old I guess. Never had any respiratory issues here. when the chick drank the elctrolite water with my help a bubble came out of her mouth. she doesn't she is wheezing a bit more like a gurgle. She wants to run around but is to weak. I have a tsc in my town. Do they sell an antibiotic. I could give her?

I'm not saying it will work I have no idea, but the feed stores sell duramycin-10 which is an antibiotic that mixes with drinking water. It's used for respiratory infections.

 

[kabhyper1]

I'm not saying it will work I have no idea, but the feed stores sell duramycin-10 which is an antibiotic that mixes with drinking water. It's used for respiratory infections.

I was going to bring all three silkie chicks int the house under a heat lamp. I think they are cold. They have been getting under momma, but they aren't thriving like the LF chicks are. Should I put the antibiotics in the water for all three just in case?

 

[kabhyper1]

Also can I mix the antibiotic with their electrolite?

 

[julie0477]

Do they have diahrrea at all?

Yes you can mix vitamins and antibiotics I can't see how that would be a problem.

If you can I would but a divider in the brooder for a few days and just treat the one. I hate to treat healthy chicks with antibiotic. Good idea to seperate the sick kid anyway. I know it's sad to seperate them but hopefully it'll just be for a few days. When I went thru something similar I did a five day round. I treated mine for cocci as well. I had two week old chicks dropping like flies with vague symptoms. Diahrea but no blood. Letharic. Gasping towards the end. One of the two treatments worked they got better. I only treated the sickest one still living with antiobiotic but i gave them all corid (which is not antibiotic its strictly for cocci). Not saying you should over medicate like I did I just didn't know what else to do.

 

[jhfamily5]

Also can I mix the antibiotic with their electrolite?

From what you are describing, it doesn't really sound like a respiratory disease. (At least not yet.) I wouldn't just throw antibiotics at it until you know (somewhat at least) what you are dealing with. There are dozens of different antibiotics that are used to treat dozens of conditions. They aren't universal. That chick could just have a developmental issue or an injury and then you would be treating all of them with random antibiotics. That would do far more harm than good. You have three bantams and some LF chicks together with the same broody? That can work just fine, but I have also tried to hatch both with a LF broody and had the bantam chick crushed. It was accidental, but the broody (LF cochin) crushed the little silkie chick. The LF chicks are much more sturdy. I would get the bantams out, put them under a heat lamp and keep an eye on them for at least a couple of hours or better a day or so. Watch the other two and see how they act. If they perk right up then you know they are fine and weren't getting proper care from the broody. If they start to deteriorate, then you know you are dealing with illness and not just some other issue and will be able to seek proper treatment advice (like what kind of antibiotic and dosage). That is just my $.02. Good luck with your babies and I am so sorry for your troubles.

 

[jhfamily5]

Also can I mix the antibiotic with their electrolite?

Also, you can mix electrolytes and vitamins in but not probiotics.

 

[julie0477]

I would think they'd be warm enough under the momma hen though.....