Please help, sick chick!

[masloozinit76]

She was the last to come out of their coop yesterday but the rest of the day, she was fine. Normal poop, normal eating, normal foraging, normal drinking. Went to bed with the rest. This morning, I found her huddled in the corner of the run by herself with blood on her back end feathers. I immediately brought her in for quarantine but noticed her crop is still very full! She will not eat but is drinking, I added electrolytes and vitamins to her water. She tried to poop twice, only white urates came out. No feces. I massaged her crop, which was hard, and it did loosen up. A little later, she pooped but it was a rubbery blood clot only! She has not tried since. She will walk, just not a lot or far. She is sleeping a lot and is very thin. She is 9 weeks old. Has clear eyes, clear nose, clear lungs. None of the other 12 in the flock have symptoms but I am watching closely. I am getting mixed answers of impacted crop to worms to coccidiosis. Does anyone have experience that can help here? Thanks!

 

[cafarmgirl]

The first thing I would do is start treating with Corid for coccidiosis. It kills chicks very fast and if that's what this is it's likely to kill her before you can do anything about any other problems she may or may not have. If you get the liquid you can "jump start" your treatment by giving her a drop or two undiluted to get her started.

 

[collingwood]

I have a chick myself is there anyway I can prevent mine from having the same thing?

 

[Eggcessive]

The first thing I would do is start treating with Corid for coccidiosis. It kills chicks very fast and if that's what this is it's likely to kill her before you can do anything about any other problems she may or may not have. If you get the liquid you can "jump start" your treatment by giving her a drop or two undiluted to get her started.

X2. There can be a full slow moving crop when they have coccidiosis which can make one think they have sour crop. A hard crop would not be the case, though. Corid dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid, or 1.5 tsp of the powder per gallon of water for 5-7 days. Then treat with vitamins and probiotics in the water for several days.

 

[masloozinit76]

Thanks for the fast answers!!! I have started her on corid, but had to get the powder at 20% because its all our TSC carries and I wanted to hurry. RK is all the way across town. I put in 1/2 tsp to a gallon, should I add more? I halfed the dosage I was told in another board since the dosage is higher. I was told 1 tsp of the 9.6%.

 

[masloozinit76]

I have 13 chickens and this is my first ill one. I clean coops daily, rake the run weekly, they free range, I do medicated starter as chicks, I give them fresh fruits and veggies as well as apple cider vinegar, garlic, and pumpkin. As hard as I try, she still got sick. Sometimes a chick can have a weaker system naturally and no matter what we do, they will get sick. Unfortunately.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thanks for the fast answers!!! I have started her on corid, but had to get the powder at 20% because its all our TSC carries and I wanted to hurry. RK is all the way across town. I put in 1/2 tsp to a gallon, should I add more? I halfed the dosage I was told in another board since the dosage is higher. I was told 1 tsp of the 9.6%.

You will want to use the dosage I gave in post #4. There are treatment dosages and preventative dosages. So for 1/2 gallon, you would want 3/4 tsp. You could add 1/4 tsp now to have that dosage--Corid is hard to overdose.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have a chick myself is there anyway I can prevent mine from having the same thing?

Is your chick sick now? There are preventative doses, and some use medicated feed with amprollium, but if you aren't having a problem then no need to treat. Chicks are more likely to show symptoms of coccidiosis when they get exposed to soil or older chickens. Here is a link for the medication in Austalia, called Amprollium 200: http://planetpoultry.com.au/medications/61-amprolium-200-100g.html

 

[masloozinit76]

Thanks so much, Eggcessive!!! Crossing my fingers she pulls through and watching the rest of the flock!! Should I go ahead and treat all just in case? I have varying ages from 4 weeks up to 8 months and laying.

 

[masloozinit76]

I just wanted to update the thread. We lost Maura. She never did regain eating or drinking or even going to the bathroom. A necropsy was performed and she was NOT sick. She had a rare incidence happen to her, either by trauma or genetics. But Maura's intestines twisted on her. When they twisted, it caused a large blood clot in her intestinal tract which blocked them off. This caused everything else to back up in her system which lead to sour crop, sepsis, and ultimately she passed away from heart failure.... all stemming from the twisted bowel. There was nothing I could have done for her. I miss her but I am at least relieved it wasn't something that could wipe out my flock.