Please Help!! 2nd chicken sick with same symptoms in less than a week!

[cornfed]

I have a chicken that is sick and I have no idea what could be wrong, am hoping for guidance.

I have 6 week old Cornish meat birds and this is the 2nd chicken in 6 days to have the exact same symptoms (the first one was put down because I couldn't stand to watch it deteriorate and suffer any further)

Here are the current symptoms:
1) White/off white pasty stool that seems to run down the vent
2) VERY lethargic, won't move unless I make it move. Doesn't/can't hold its head up.
3) Seems to labour breathing
4) continual, faint chirping or peep sounds
5) Eyes are barely open
6) Feathers look ruffled on it's head and not smooth like the other birds.

Please help, I can handle losing a few birds but obviously don't want it to affect the rest of the birds that I am raising. I have isolated the sick bird and need to do something in the next day or 2.

thank you

 

[CMV]

The problem with CXs is that they are so fragile that it could be any number of things wrong with them. They are ticking time bombs. Keep the ailing birds separate from the rest of the flock and hope that whatever is going wrong with them doesn't spread. The birds must be due for processing here in the next couple weeks. I think I would process any that start to show signs of ailment. Chances are good that these birds are not "sick" per se. It's just that being a CX is not compatible with life.

Good luck.

 

[Sylvestor12]

To get more hardy heavy breeds I'd get Black Giants or Jersey Giants from McMurray hatchery; they have pretty good service. You're likely to get one rooster though for the mystery chicken.

 

[cornfed]

Thank you for the responses but I had to put the chicken down yesterday.

 

[Sylvestor12]

I'm sorry for your loss. At least you won't have to get more for a while.