sick 4 week old chicks

SEMulder

In the Brooder
6 Years
Sep 7, 2013
19
0
22
I have several chicks that are ill. They seem to have trouble walking well, lie down a lot, and hunker down in a corner. I don't see any sign of pasty butt, and they do eat and drink. One died yesterday, after going downhill very rapidly, but three more are like this and I'm afraid I'm going to lose them in the next couple of days if I don't do something. Any recognition of a problem, or is there something anyone suggests I do?

I'm worried I wasn't changing out their litter enough. I just added DE yesterday with a lot more pine shavings added, as I was concerned my bedding wasn't deep enough. We live in a dry climate but this week we've been having an unusual amount of rain. The chicks are indoors, but it is possible the humidity might be higher inside now. (?)

I'd appreciate any input or help!

edit: I just found the disease forum and am wondering about coccidiosis (sp?) and where to get treatment. I apologize if I posted in the wrong forum.
 
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Thank you, Sandstorm495! I started the chicks on Corid just now. Most are hanging in there, but one seems to be almost dead. I got some water down her with an eye dropper. I did notice though, that her throat area is enlarged and mushy feeling. Is this normal? Or is this a symptom of something else? I appreciate any advice!
 
Your welcome!
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I'm not an expert or anything, but it sounds like sour crop. You need to get worried when the chicks crop is full when it should be empty.
Sour crop is very hard to treat without medicine from the vet, so you may need to take her to one.
 
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Make sure you change area that you have them in every couple of days. Also make sure they are not pooping in the food and if you have one of those 3 or 5 gallon feed buckets put a cover on it so no one poops in it. Change out there water daily with fresh water with Corid in it daily for at lease a week, I would go longer if they dont get well soon.
 
Thanks, all. I started treating the whole bunch with Corid yesterday. The one mentioned died yesterday afternoon, lost another over night and one this evening. I was giving them water with an eye dropper and even tried whole milk today that my husband went and bought. The last one seemed to be perking up a little this afternoon, but died shortly after. I do change their food at least every day (I have a standard red chick feeder), and I've also been changing their water (and cleaning it out) at least a couple of times a day from the beginning. I really hope the Corid stems this. I also hope to move them outside into their coop this week. I'm still working on making a coyote proof run. I lost a chick within the first week and am wondering if she simply was the first. It has been unusually humid the last week, with our record rains, and I'm worried maybe this contributed, and I must not have cleaned out the litter enough. :-(

Hoping this will clear up...

Thanks!
 

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