Sick 4 month old chick, please help

[TroyBlackburn]

I've got a flock of 39 chickens, 7 which are over a year old (bought from hatchery), 19 which are 5 1/2 or so months old (also hatchery bought) and 13 which are 4 months old (incubated/hatched by me). I made the mistake of not immunizing them or feeding them medicated starter and I have previously lost 3 to Coccidiosis. I treated the others with Corid.

I noticed a couple of weeks or so ago that one of the ones I hatched tends to hide in a corner. I noticed today that both of it's eyes are cloudy and it seems lethargic. I have noticed that it tends to get picked on by the Barred Rock Roosters. I looked over the rest of the flock and do not see any others with cloudy eyes and most are running around the yard. A couple seem as though when perching they might have been allowing their wings to droop, though it has been a bit warm today. (New Orleans area).

The ones I hatched have just recently been incorporated into the rest of the flock. Unfortunately the weather here has been very wet the past few weeks and the ones I hatched have been stuck in a run area in which the ground has been very wet.

I also just noticed that the droppings from at least one of the 4 month old chicks that have been stuck in the wet run area are wet and may have a greenish color (not certain about the color) but it was definitely wet like diarrhea.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You
Troy

 

[Natalijaasbj]

I had the same kind of problen last week. I took the 4 month old chicks outside. One was VERY sad looking and yelled all the time. After he started being sicklish looking , like he was in trans or something. I stillam not sure what it was - but experienced people here suggested two things.
1) Give him "Pedialites" with honey - in case he got a shock of cold weather( it was 62 degrees - too cold for 4 week chick as I was told)
2) Somebody suggested to give him Corrid - in case it WAS a Cocchi( which I was surprised to here as I was feeding them medicated feed - but peeps say they still can get Cocci)
So I did both - and after couple days he feels fine now. Not sure what helped - Pedialites or Corrid though. You can try both.

 

[Natalijaasbj]

Yes, and also are they still in brooder? As the experienced person with chicks said she only get them outside when they are 6 weeks. Some of them may be too fragile for exposing them to outside too early. Also the temperature should be high enough( the rule - 95 first week, and every week 5 degrees lower)

 

[TroyBlackburn]

I really don't think they're too young to be outside they are 4 MONTHS old. They have been outside for over two months. I think more likely that one or more of them have gotten sick because of the recent weather and what it did to the ground in the area they have been. I have been keeping the 13 chickens I hatched in a covered run area 8' x 12'. They have not had a place to roost in there and over all the area has been kept clean and dry. However I have been gone much of the past couple of weeks or so and it has rained so much that the soil has been wet/muddy for over two weeks.mmthey of course have been living, eating and pooping in that area with the soil being wet and I was not around to clean it.

 

[TroyBlackburn]

Just my thoughts, and I certainly do not want to discourage other ideas or cause to lead this down the wrong path; however the two things that stand out to me as the most likely causes of the chickens issue are:

13 chickens in a 8' x 12' run with no real way to perch and with wet/muddy chicken dropping laden soil.

Injuries from being pecked at/on by at least one of the roosters. I've definitely noticed this chicken getting picked on a lot by on of the roosters. I don't mean being mounted, I mean being picked on.

Any thoughts?

Thank You
Troy

 

[Natalijaasbj]

Sorry, I thought they were 4 weeks old.

 

[TroyBlackburn]

No, please do not be sorry... It's an easy mistake and I appreciate the effort to help. Thank You

 

[Natalijaasbj]

hI!
I do not have any experience with the bigger chicks like yours. But I notice this forum is not very busy. I usually posted my questions and problems on the general "Raising chicks" board and got a lot of responses.