My favorite chick is sick - please help!

[PrincessKiara]

Help please!

I have two days-old Silkie mix chicks. The first one to hatch took two or so days to learn to eat properly, I worried because her poops were a red color and kind of gelatinous but she ate well, moved well etc so I let it pass. Today though she seems lethargic, sad, won't eat and has a watery green poop. I gave her some sugar water with Vitafort powder in hopes of perking her up but she doesn't really want to take it although she swallowed a couple of drops and looks a tiny bit better. She was fine last night and even ate and drank... I'm just worried because she and the other baby never fill their crop when they eat. Should I just offer food more often? Or give her any sort of meds?

Her nostrils are clear, eyes clean, she looks like she may have the beginning of pasty butt. I have Avefenicol (sulfametoxazol and trimetoprim) antibiotics that are added to the water, do I give her that?

Help?

 

[MGG]

Help please!

I have two days-old Silkie mix chicks. The first one to hatch took two or so days to learn to eat properly, I worried because her poops were a red color and kind of gelatinous but she ate well, moved well etc so I let it pass. Today though she seems lethargic, sad, won't eat and has a watery green poop. I gave her some sugar water with Vitafort powder in hopes of perking her up but she doesn't really want to take it although she swallowed a couple of drops and looks a tiny bit better. She was fine last night and even ate and drank... I'm just worried because she and the other baby never fill their crop when they eat. Should I just offer food more often? Or give her any sort of meds?

Help?

It can't really be cocci so young. Do they have access to food and water 24-7? They should. Can you get some poultry cell or nutridrench? Mine never fill their crops much, they eat periodically and never need to gorge themselves. Can you post pictures of the chick, her poop, and your brooder set up? Sorry she's sick.

 

[PrincessKiara]

I don't have pictures of the poop. The brooder is a Styrofoam cooler with a bulb that I keep at 37.5°C. I have Vitafort powder and Avefenicol antibiotics as well, they're a mix of sulfametoxazol and trimetoprim that's supposed to be added to water. Should I give her some?

 

[MGG]

View attachment 2130111

I don't have pictures of the poop. The brooder is a Styrofoam cooler with a bulb that I keep at 37.5°C. I have Vitafort powder and Avefenicol antibiotics as well, they're a mix of sulfametoxazol and trimetoprim that's supposed to be added to water. Should I give her some?

Do they have a good area to get away from the heat? I wouldn't give her antibiotics, unless you know what's he has and they're bird safe. Does she walk good? @Eggcessive

 

[PrincessKiara]

Do they have a good area to get away from the heat? I wouldn't give her antibiotics, unless you know what's he has and they're bird safe. Does she walk good? @Eggcessive

She didn't make it. I could tell something else was up so I took her to the vet...she died on the table. Her throat was filled with clear runny mucus, he syringed it out but it was too late.

 

[MGG]

She didn't make it. I could tell something else was up so I took her to the vet...she died on the table. Her throat was filled with clear runny mucus, he syringed it out but it was too late.

Wow, I'm so sorry That's so weird, I wonder what the mucous was from. You hatched her you said? Are all of the others fine? She probably was just weak. You're lucky you have a vet that will see birds though. So sorry again.

 

[PrincessKiara]

Wow, I'm so sorry That's so weird, I wonder what the mucous was from. You hatched her you said? Are all of the others fine? She probably was just weak. You're lucky you have a vet that will see birds though. So sorry again.

Thank you

I hatched her, yes. I have her parents too, and her full sibling is fine. She was eating and drinking and scrambling around last night too, so I have no clue what happened other than the red jelly like poops... In fact I have a sibling of hers pipped right now and hatching... Towards the end she began gasping for breath and then when she stopped breathing all the mucus came flowing out...

My vet is amazing though, I am friends with them and I'm the only crazy person who brings them chickens, but they always help...they saved her father's life too when he was younger and got very very sick

RIP Hotcake

 

[PrincessKiara]

In fact her brother is screaming at me right now demanding cuddles

 

[MGG]

Thank you

I hatched her, yes. I have her parents too, and her full sibling is fine. She was eating and drinking and scrambling around last night too, so I have no clue what happened other than the red jelly like poops... In fact I have a sibling of hers pipped right now and hatching... Towards the end she began gasping for breath and then when she stopped breathing all the mucus came flowing out...

My vet is amazing though, I am friends with them and I'm the only crazy person who brings them chickens, but they always help...they saved her father's life too when he was younger and got very very sick

RIP Hotcake

That's so weird. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I don't know what it could have been. Sounds like your vet is great. I wish there were more vets who would see birds. That's awesome they saved her father. We'll miss you Hotcake.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Help please!

I have two days-old Silkie mix chicks. The first one to hatch took two or so days to learn to eat properly, I worried because her poops were a red color and kind of gelatinous but she ate well, moved well etc so I let it pass. Today though she seems lethargic, sad, won't eat and has a watery green poop. I gave her some sugar water with Vitafort powder in hopes of perking her up but she doesn't really want to take it although she swallowed a couple of drops and looks a tiny bit better. She was fine last night and even ate and drank... I'm just worried because she and the other baby never fill their crop when they eat. Should I just offer food more often? Or give her any sort of meds?

Her nostrils are clear, eyes clean, she looks like she may have the beginning of pasty butt. I have Avefenicol (sulfametoxazol and trimetoprim) antibiotics that are added to the water, do I give her that?

Help?

Sorry for your loss.

Your chick likely wasn't sick.. it had failure to thrive. Chicks can survive 3 full days with NO food or water after hatching... for the yolk they absorb directly during hatch. Waiting to see a regular poop is one of those signs that help me know they may be in the clear... we cannot see internal organs and digestion so until their own digestion system is up and running PAST the yolk.. it can be unsure.

After losing enough bantams.. I learned about crushing feed more (even crumbles) and it seriously increased my survival rate.. I even do it for standard fowl new hatchlings now.

I bred Silkies for several years... and some have an issue connecting with food... those don't usually die before 3-5 days old. Dying really sooner than that is indicative of either internal issues we can't detect OR being aspirated by accidentally inhaling water when learning to drink.

No, it's pretty much never appropriate to medicate a couple day old chick with anti biotics... OR to try throwing fixes at an unidentified issue possibly masking the real issue or causing more issue.

Best thing to help a failing chick... direct drop of poultry Nutri Drench just below the nostrils.. with chick held in hand beak facing forefinger to help direct the drop. Chick will naturally gobble and swallow when the moisture rolls around into the mouth and this helps IMMENSELY to prevent aspiration caused by beak dipping accidents.

Sounds like you might be having a staggered hatch right now.. dialing it in and finding ways to prevent that and have them hatch on the same day will give you less overall issues.. IF possible for your future adventures.

After hatching hundreds of chicks.. I can tell you not all will make it even if they hatched on their own. That doesn't mean they were "sick" as we understand it. Potential keys are genetics and parental age, health, and nutrition.. plus not to be dismissed is incubation parameters.. if they hatched on the right day or not.. may be an indicator of possible cause. So many factors!

Happy hatching!