I’m not a first timer, but it’s been almost 15 yrs. since my last flock & I'm having a couple of problems.
My 12 girls are a week old today. When I left for Sunday dinner with my in-laws, they were all fine. But when I returned less than 3 hrs. later, I found one (Candy) limping, favoring her right leg. When she lies down she lays sort of on her side, with her right leg out to the side. Another (Marshmallow) seems lethargic, standing with head & wings drooped. The other chicks were pushing her around & stepping all over her so I took her out. I gave her some water with a syringe & moved her into a small segregated box within the brooder. She has labored breathing with, what sounds to me to be congestion, (like a clicking sound in her nostrils) & diarrhea that she seems to struggle to excrete. When she does lay down, her little tail feathers are up in the air & her wings are spread away from her body. I've been keeping her vent area clean, to make sure she doesn't paste, but I don't know what else to do for her at this point. I've been keeping an eye on Candy, the limper, & she seems to be holding her own with the others, so my first priority is Marshmallow. The 2 girls that I'm having problems with are Easter Eggers. There doesn’t seem to be any other issues with the other 10 girls, but I still watch for anything out of the ordinary with them.
They've all had vaccinations & all came from My Pet Chicken. I'm feeding them Dumor chick starter/grower (until I can find something better...open to suggestions). I clean their waterer & give them fresh water 3x's/day. 2 days ago, I gave them some crushed, dried mealworms & also a bit of MannaPro small sized chick grit. Thursday & earlier today, I gave them a water/chick starter mash treat.
(Should I change them to a medicated starter feed?)
I have: 3 Easter Eggers, 3 Barred Plymouth Rocks, 3 Rhode Island Reds & 3 Buff Orpingtons. I also have 4 Silver Laced Wyandottes coming on the 1st of May, so I would like to get my girls that I have now, feeling better before they arrive.
Can anyone please help with these 2 issues, PLEASE? (I’m afraid to go to bed tonight!)
(I apologize for the novel, but wanted to make sure to cover everything…I think I did!?)
Thanks in advance for any advice.
My 12 girls are a week old today. When I left for Sunday dinner with my in-laws, they were all fine. But when I returned less than 3 hrs. later, I found one (Candy) limping, favoring her right leg. When she lies down she lays sort of on her side, with her right leg out to the side. Another (Marshmallow) seems lethargic, standing with head & wings drooped. The other chicks were pushing her around & stepping all over her so I took her out. I gave her some water with a syringe & moved her into a small segregated box within the brooder. She has labored breathing with, what sounds to me to be congestion, (like a clicking sound in her nostrils) & diarrhea that she seems to struggle to excrete. When she does lay down, her little tail feathers are up in the air & her wings are spread away from her body. I've been keeping her vent area clean, to make sure she doesn't paste, but I don't know what else to do for her at this point. I've been keeping an eye on Candy, the limper, & she seems to be holding her own with the others, so my first priority is Marshmallow. The 2 girls that I'm having problems with are Easter Eggers. There doesn’t seem to be any other issues with the other 10 girls, but I still watch for anything out of the ordinary with them.
They've all had vaccinations & all came from My Pet Chicken. I'm feeding them Dumor chick starter/grower (until I can find something better...open to suggestions). I clean their waterer & give them fresh water 3x's/day. 2 days ago, I gave them some crushed, dried mealworms & also a bit of MannaPro small sized chick grit. Thursday & earlier today, I gave them a water/chick starter mash treat.
(Should I change them to a medicated starter feed?)
I have: 3 Easter Eggers, 3 Barred Plymouth Rocks, 3 Rhode Island Reds & 3 Buff Orpingtons. I also have 4 Silver Laced Wyandottes coming on the 1st of May, so I would like to get my girls that I have now, feeling better before they arrive.
Can anyone please help with these 2 issues, PLEASE? (I’m afraid to go to bed tonight!)
(I apologize for the novel, but wanted to make sure to cover everything…I think I did!?)
Thanks in advance for any advice.