Month old chick problem!

[rosieflock]

Lady Bird is a month old! She was a brut with the other chicks - always having fun and appeared to be a flock leader. She's an Americauna and a few days ago, became much less active. She eats and drinks fine. Her poop ranging from normal chick poop to water, mucus-like. She goes short distances and then hunkers down to sleep/rest. I'm totally new at this but can't seem to find her an answer. The place we bought her reassured me that it wasn't coxy and she may just need to be comfortable and won't make it. Wonder if there's more to do for her without the extreme of a vet visit. My husband wasn't a huge fan of getting chickens to begin with! Any help is much appreciated!

 

[BantamLover21]

Is she about the same size as the other chicks (not a runt)? If not, she may have an internal problem that likely isn't treatable.

If she has seemed normal up until this point, though, she probably has a treatable, non-genetic problem. Despite what the place you bought her from said, she may indeed have Coccidiosis. Coccidiosis is very common and causes a variety of symptoms, including lethargy, loss of appetite, and bloody or runny droppings.

I would start by isolating her in her own place, perhaps with a gentle flockmate or two. Make sure she is warm enough and in a clean environment. Offer normal chick feed, or special treats (like scrambled eggs) if she doesn't eat well. I would also find some Corid and begin treating for Coccidiosis. Corid is often sold at farm supply stores, like Tractor Supply or Farm and Fleet/Fleet Farm, and isn't extremely expensive. You can get either Corid liquid or powder, both of which get mixed into the water. I don't remember the Corid dosage right now (it seems to always be getting changed as BYC members calculate the amounts more exactly), but you should be able to find the dosages by searching BYC threads.

Treat with the Corid, liquid or powder, for 5-7 days. If Coccidiosis is your chick's problem, you should see improvement. If not, antibiotics would be the next step, or culling, if you/your husband don't want to deal with a sick bird for too long. Good luck!

 

[rosieflock]

Thanks! She is on the medicated chick food from the breeder/place we bought her was a grain store. So that's why they don't think we can have coxy. But I'm totally new at this - only know what I read in books and wonderful forums like this! She is a bit bigger breed than our wyadottes and leghorn.

 

[BantamLover21]

Medicated feed helps prevent Coccidiosis, but it is not 100% effective. I'm not saying for sure that Coccidiosis is the problem; it is just what I would treat for first.