New chicken mom here and one of my girls not doing well like the others - advice please

[kacklinkelly]

Thanks for being here and hoping you can assist. As you can tell, I am brand new to backyard chickens.com and having my own back yard chicks. Just obtained 4 on Monday. 3 are doing great and my little mottled java is not thriving. I am feeding them all the chick starter and fresh water, they have a brooder box with lite and room to play and a little roost for the bigger ones to hang out on. The little java has been much more vocal since the very beginning, always trying to huddle with the other chicks and attempting to get under their wings. was eating and drinking and now is not. Since I came home from work, I noticed she has removed herself from the others and just appearing sleepy. I have been advised that cilantro is a natural detox and have added that to the brooder box. I have increased the wattage on the bulbs in the event it is not warm enough. The other thing I noticed when I pick her up is that she has very wet chicken poop that is yellow in color and all around her bottom which smells HORRIBLE. I have attempted to clean her bottom with warm water and cotton ball and noticed that something small and red is sticking out of her that is not apparent on the other birds in the bottom area. Anyone know what I might be dealing with here? Sorry for the length, just trying to give as much info as possible. (nervous newby) Thanks for taking the time - kacklinkelly

 

[dawg53]

Yellow in color feces isnt good news, possibly some type of bacterial infection, most likely ecoli. The small red thing you described is most likely the onset of prolapse.
I recommend that you cull the chick and disinfect the brooder box thoroughly, including feeders/waterers. Ecoli bacterial infection can pass from one chick to another via feces.

 

[kacklinkelly]

Thank you for the response. Now I'm really concerned. My grandson was holding this chick last night for pictures. As a habit, we wash hands after handling the chicks. I have just been told holding chicks should be minimal due to immature immune systems. Do you cull a chick the same way you would start to prepare a grown bird for harvesting? Should I be concerned about ecoli bacterial contamination for my grandson and myself for handling the sick chick? The feed store I bought the chick from told me they have no one else reporting any illness in their chicks. Is that likely if it is ecoli?

 

[stargirl]

How old is she? Did you buy her at 'point of lay'?
If you're both washing your hands after handling I wouldn't worry too much. E-coli is a possibility, but chickens do yellow poop for a number of reasons, and even if it were e-coli, it's only bad if you ingest it.

Separate her from the others, maybe in a warm, dark box indoors or in a garage. Keep her warm, fed & watered. Sit her in a bowl of warm water to clean her bum up, but make sure she's fully dry again before she goes outside or anywhere cool. It does sound like she'll need antibiotics, from the smell issue. It's up to you how far you want to go with trying to help her, versus culling. I'm a softie, I'm afraid.