please help, may have a disease on my hands..

[sunket77]

I just lost a duckling yesterday, one week old, he kept scratching his head and falling over. After he died I noticed his eye almost looked like he had gone blind in one eye. Hi behavior was hard to determine if it was neurological or a deficiency. But the other ducks are fine so I figured it was exclusive.

Now I have a sick chick! Little japanese bantam 6 days old. It keeps chirping loudly and scratching it's head like crazy like it hurts. Then it tucks it's head down for a little while and then acts okay. The chicks and ducks are in separate brooders but next to each other. I haven't been careful about going from one brooder to the next b/c the duckling has not been doing well from the start and the other ducklings are fine.

Does anyone know what could be wrong?? the other chicks seem to be ok for now. They are on medicated chick starter and chick vitamins. They have been on paper towel for bedding \\. Please help it seems to be in some kind of pain. I looked for a possibility of mites but don't see anything.

 

[Matt A NC]

They may be scratching at the pain from pressure in the ear from an infection or the sinus from an infection. Have you examined the ears? nares?

I would put antibiotics in their water now, just in case.

Matt

 

[sunket77]

I haven't thought of that, thanks! I will get the anti-biotics going. These chicks are so tiny I can't hardly see if there is something going on.