Possibly Sick Baby Chick

[silkie1472]

I have three chicks: 2 turken pullets, and 1 white leghorn cockerel. They are around 3 weeks of age.

Ever since they were little chicks, I noticed that the white leghorn chick would occasionally sneeze, but thinking that it was just dust in the shavings of food, I did nothing.

Yesterday afternoon, I noticed that he was sneezing frequently, and when I picked him up, he got stressed out and I could hear him breathing.

That night, I put Braggs Organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with the mother in their water. Today, he did not sneeze very much, but if he gets stressed at all, he begins breathing heavily. I opened his mouth, and it appears that there is mucus around the windpipe. The mucus is clear, and very rarely do I see anything coming from his nose.

I would really like to help the chick get better, so do y'all have any suggestions?

 

[silkie1472]

Anyone?

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you seen any wet spots in your bedding from spilled water? Aspergillosis or brooder pneumonia can be common from mold in bedding. Dust from feed or bedding, ammonia odors, or poor air circulation can lead to breathing problems. Respiratory diseases from exposure to older birds can show up around this age. She also could have less immunity. You could try antibiotics, such as injectable Tylan 50 given orally, 1/4 ml twice a day for 5 days, just to the sick chick. You will need syringes 3ml, and needles 20 gauge 1/2 inch to get the medicine out of the vial, then remove the needle to give it orally. It could be a virus where the antibiotic won't help, but it would help if it is MG.

 

[silkie1472]

It has been a few days, and the chick is sneezing very little now. He still breathes a little heavy, shakes his head a little, and makes drinking motions with his beak quite often, but he appears really healthy. He just started trying to crow this morning, and he is only 3 weeks old.

Has anyone else experienced this? My adult silkie hen is like this, and she is really healthy and lays well, but she has the same complication. I just don't know why...

 

[Kiki]

IF you chick and your adult chicken are both showing these signs...I would re think this situation....maybe they both are not healthy.

I do not think a sneezing, breathing heavy, shaking it's head.... chick/chicken is a healthy one.
IMO

 

[silkie1472]

Yes, I have thought the same thing. The thing is, however, the chicks have never came in contact with the grown chickens, and the two turken chicks are not showing the signs either.

 

[Kiki]

Yes, I have thought the same thing. The thing is, however, the chicks have never came in contact with the grown chickens, and the two turken chicks are not showing the signs either.

If you walk outside (assuming the older ones are outside) and tend to the older ones..then go back inside (assuming the babies are inside) and"play" with the little ones...

They have been in contact with each other...through you.

 

[silkie1472]

Yes, that is the only thing that I can think of. However, I have chickens in three different locations: behind my house, in my garage, and a large run about 300-350 feet from my house. There are only 2 chickens that are like this: one behind the house, and the chick in the garage. The chickens farther away are perfectly healthy, and the other chicks show no signs. I think it may be the breeders that I get them from, as they both came from there, but idk

 

[Kiki]

I bet you are right....
you probably brought sick birds home.

Sad how people actually sell sick birds...sucks.