Lethargic 2 month old Silver Phoenix

[happychic]

Our first and only two month old Silver Phoenix roo is very lethargic. We noticed he was moving slow yesterday and is worse today. No runny nose or cough. Drinks a tiny bit of water with acv but refuses chick feed. I am worried he may have slept on the ground instead of the perch and gotten chilled? The weather has been very damp the past few days. So now he is inside in a ventilated box with his own water with acv and food. The other chicks his age (not Silver Phoenix breed) seem fine. I appreciate any suggestions and ideas as to what is wrong. Thanks

 

[Haunted55]

Need some more info please. Is he normally allowed outside to free range? What ages are the other birds you have? Normal feed? Treats? Have you checked to see if it could be a possible coccidiosis outbreak? What about worming, has it ever been done? Have your birds been vaccinated for Marek's?

The gotten chilled seems to imply a cold like humans would get. Unfortunately with poultry, this doesn't happen. They are not mammals and do not get colds like us, they get diseases that can kill them or if they survive, they will be carriers of it for their lifetime. When and if the chicken who was sick sheds some of the virus he carries, he is infecting the other birds around him.

Is it possible for you to post a picture or two of him? Sometimes it can show immediately what is wrong or at least get you sent down the right path to treatment.

 

[happychic]

He is allowed to free range with 6 other chicks his age. I also have 4 grown hens who are sleeping in a separate part of the coop at nighttime. They also free range during the day but don't interact much with the chicks at this point. The chicks are fed normal chick feed. I was a little concerned that he might have gotten into some of the adult layer feed I give the grown hens. They are fed in separate areas, but it is a possibility. I was more worried that he was more susceptible to cooler, damp conditions because of his breed and the fact that his tail is growing maybe taking more energy and leaving him less resources to keep warm? All other birds appear normal. They have not been vaccinated, the hens have been wormed, the chicks haven't. Thank you for replying. I will try to post a picture immediately.

 

[happychic]

He has eaten a little and finally pooped. It is runnier than it should be, with white cap and pretty stinky. Thanks, again for helping.

 

[Haunted55]

What color was it? Did it look foamy at all? I know he's beyond the age that most chicks get it but I think you need to evaluate him for possible cocci. I am going to give you some links to look at. If you already have them please don't think I am trying to insult you. You've been a member longer than I but sometimes we all just move in different circles depending on what we've run into.

http://chat.allotment.org/index.php?topic=17568.0

With disclaimer!!!! Sometimes cocci will look like the pictures numbers, 7,9,10,16,19,20 and 25. I have dealt with similar here with a bad outbreak of coccidiosis. If it is only once in a while, then chances are it isn't cocci.

http://suite101.com/article/how-to-identify-and-treat-sour-crop-in-chickens-a235571

I personally have never dealt with this in my flocks. I also don't think the use of ACV is a good idea. I won't use it with my birds and will only recommend it for short term medicinal usage. A better option is a good probiotic rather than the ACV, or the yogurt mentioned in the link. This is just a thought but I have been on other threads where some of the symptoms you've mentioned were present in the other people's birds. Also you could do a search here on BYC as there are many threads that address Sour Crop.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vm015

Finally, one about internal parasites. This was my first impression from what you wrote, but it could be any of them. That's why I am giving these to you to look at. You will probably read through them and something is going to put the bulb on for you. You're there, you can see him. In fact, you could try the Sour Crop thing tonight. It's the easiest thing to do, feeling the crop and then giving him olive or vegetable oil and then lightly massaging. From what you said about the poop, if this was the issue he may hae already clear it, but check to be sure. If he's not eating, his crop shouldn't be enlarged. I can't tell from the picture if it is or it's just the way he's standing.

 

[happychic]

Thank you for the links Not offended at all! I am grateful you took the time to try and help. He refused yogurt last night, but did perk up a little bit and ate some feed this morning. He feels like skin and bones when I pick him up though. Crop is very empty. I set him outside to see if he will range a bit. More runny poo throughout the night. No foam. The last poo was quite sticky looking . I will be sure and read those articles.Wish I knew what is wrong with the little fellow. I will post again if we get it figured out or if I see any new symptoms. Thanks again, any advice is appreciated.

 

[Haunted55]

Thank you for the links

Not offended at all! I am grateful you took the time to try and help. He refused yogurt last night, but did perk up a little bit and ate some feed this morning. He feels like skin and bones when I pick him up though. Crop is very empty. I set him outside to see if he will range a bit. More runny poo throughout the night. No foam. The last poo was quite sticky looking . I will be sure and read those articles.Wish I knew what is wrong with the little fellow. I will post again if we get it figured out or if I see any new symptoms. Thanks again, any advice is appreciated.

Get the probiotics into him. I use a product for myself and on my birds called Floragen3. Ask at your pharmacy because it has to be refrigerated. If anything is going to help with his guts, it will be this. It's around $14 a bottle for 30 capsules. You won't need all of them. You should see improvement in 2 days, if it's going to work. If it doesn't, then we need to look else where for the problem.

 

[happychic]

Sorry it's been a while, but I wanted to post an update. After two days in the house being completely dry and warm with little tastes of yogurt mixed into his feed, MacGyver (the Siver Phoenix) was well enough to go outside and rejoin the others. His body temperature rose again, his breath felt warm and damp like the others, he began eating and drinking again and since then he has always roosted inside the chicken coop with the others instead of outside on the ground. I will probably never know what was wrong, but am grateful for the advice and happy he pulled through.