Hello!
I am trying very hard to save my little chocolate orpington chick.
About a month, or perhaps a little longer, ago, I bought seven chicks from our local farm supply. They were four black copper marans, and three chocolate orpington. Up until a week ago, they were all doing very well! Then, one morning, all of that changed
They were sound at bedtime. In the morning, all of them were in some state of obviously sick. They were hunched up, puffed out, heads hanging low, very lethargic, and one not steady on its feet. I saw no bloody poop, and so, began thinking bacteria of some sort. By evening, one marans had died. It was at that point that I saw blood in some poop. Coccidiosis. One marans baby also had an inflated crop. Research revealed that sour crop is not uncommon alongside coccidiosis. Blast.
The next day I got a ride into town, and bought Corid 20% powder, and a couple of kinds of gut-health supplement, and a bottle of liquid multivitamins for chickens, making sure that it contained thiamine. I have had zero prior experience with coccidiosis at this level. In the past, what were clearly very mild cases, resolved quickly, without slowing the babies down at all. This is totally different When I got home from the store, the second marans was dead.
Then I made a mistake, because I lacked understanding either of the disease or the treatment. I had read that the parasites attach to the intestinal wall, and drain the bird of thiamine. Thiamine being necessary for survival, this eventually kills the bird. Based upon this, I imagined that supplementing the bird with thiamine would be important, to prevent more death, while the Corid (amprolium) did it's job. That was, I now have been informed, the wrong thing to do. Apparently, the thiamine in the supplement nullifies the benefit of the Corid. On the fourth day, the third marans died.
I have continued the Corid, and stopped the vitamins. The one remaining marans, and two of the orpingtons, are visually recovered. They have even grown quite a bit throughout this nightmare. The third orpington, my favorite (naturally), is hanging on by the tip of her beak. She falls in and out of consciousness. Sometimes she can stand, poorly, but usually not. I feed her and give the medicated water by syringe. She weakly resists, but seems more alive after a feeding. She gets mostly yogurt, condensed cream soup, and soggy chick starter. I keep her with me, because I feel that they die much more readily when left alone. Every hopeful sign has been followed by a relapse.
Where there is life, there is hope, they say. For the moment, she is alive. I just want, somehow, to keep her that way. Does anyone know of any way to boost her chances? I have no ego about this. If I am doing it all wrong, please tell me! I just want to save this baby.
Thank you so much for your time!!!
I am trying very hard to save my little chocolate orpington chick.
About a month, or perhaps a little longer, ago, I bought seven chicks from our local farm supply. They were four black copper marans, and three chocolate orpington. Up until a week ago, they were all doing very well! Then, one morning, all of that changed
They were sound at bedtime. In the morning, all of them were in some state of obviously sick. They were hunched up, puffed out, heads hanging low, very lethargic, and one not steady on its feet. I saw no bloody poop, and so, began thinking bacteria of some sort. By evening, one marans had died. It was at that point that I saw blood in some poop. Coccidiosis. One marans baby also had an inflated crop. Research revealed that sour crop is not uncommon alongside coccidiosis. Blast.
The next day I got a ride into town, and bought Corid 20% powder, and a couple of kinds of gut-health supplement, and a bottle of liquid multivitamins for chickens, making sure that it contained thiamine. I have had zero prior experience with coccidiosis at this level. In the past, what were clearly very mild cases, resolved quickly, without slowing the babies down at all. This is totally different When I got home from the store, the second marans was dead.
Then I made a mistake, because I lacked understanding either of the disease or the treatment. I had read that the parasites attach to the intestinal wall, and drain the bird of thiamine. Thiamine being necessary for survival, this eventually kills the bird. Based upon this, I imagined that supplementing the bird with thiamine would be important, to prevent more death, while the Corid (amprolium) did it's job. That was, I now have been informed, the wrong thing to do. Apparently, the thiamine in the supplement nullifies the benefit of the Corid. On the fourth day, the third marans died.
I have continued the Corid, and stopped the vitamins. The one remaining marans, and two of the orpingtons, are visually recovered. They have even grown quite a bit throughout this nightmare. The third orpington, my favorite (naturally), is hanging on by the tip of her beak. She falls in and out of consciousness. Sometimes she can stand, poorly, but usually not. I feed her and give the medicated water by syringe. She weakly resists, but seems more alive after a feeding. She gets mostly yogurt, condensed cream soup, and soggy chick starter. I keep her with me, because I feel that they die much more readily when left alone. Every hopeful sign has been followed by a relapse.
Where there is life, there is hope, they say. For the moment, she is alive. I just want, somehow, to keep her that way. Does anyone know of any way to boost her chances? I have no ego about this. If I am doing it all wrong, please tell me! I just want to save this baby.
Thank you so much for your time!!!
