Sick chick? Neck stretched out, looking sleepy

Snoopnpoop

In the Brooder
Dec 17, 2017
6
2
11
Please help!

My 9week old Buff Orpington is moping around with her neck stretched out and down, and she looks sleepy. She's eating and drinking, but she seems lethargic. My other three chicks (Sussex, Australorp, Wyandotte) are the same age, but they seem fine.

I don't know what information can be helpful in figuring this out, but temps are mild here, I use sand for bedding, they're eating starter/grower crumbles, have access to water and food 24hrs/day. The sick Buff seems lower in the pecking order, but she's so easygoing that the others don't bother her. She's usually friendly and curious, but today she's not coming up to me like normal.

I am in the process of looking through old threads about this, but I am brand new to the site and brand new to owning chickens, so I wanted to post ASAP while I continue to search for info.

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
:welcome Hope we can help ...

How's her poop - Is it runny or firm? What color? Does she have a messy butt feathering?

How long has she been doing this? Is it constant or after she eats? After she drinks?

How are you keeping them - Inside or out in a brooder/coop? What is the flooring, dirt or shavings?
 
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Here is a pic of her. She's not eating here, she's just sitting there. The poop in the coop all looks alright, at least nothing looks out of the ordinary as far as I can tell. Her butt feathers seem clean, and she doesn;t appear to be pecked at.
She's been doing it on and off throughout the day, between eating and drinking and socializing with the other chicks.
I built a coop with a run. Coop is 16 square feet, run is 40 square feet. I've been using sand in both the coop and run. They have access to both, but I've been having to help them get down to the run in the morning and back up in the coop at night. They haven't figured the ramp out yet, I guess. There are nesting boxes but I have them blocked off right now (i heard its good to do so they don;t get in the habit of sleeping/pooping in them). I've only had them for about a week now and since they are all feathered the guy I bought them from said they'd be ok out in the coop without a brooder light or anything. Temps usually stay above freezing here most of the winter.
 
At this age she might be suffering from coccidiosis. That is treated with Corid (amprollium.) She looks very weak and dehydrated, so while you are getting some Corid from your feed store, get her drinking some water with sugar or electrolytes. Corid dosage is 1 1/2 tsp of the powder Corid or 2tsp of the liquid Corid per gallon of water for 5-7 days. Give soem of the undiluted Corid (2 drops) or mix a tsp of powder into 2 tsp of water, and give 2drops orally twice a day to jump start her. Let us know how she gets along.
 
Odd, cocci they usually scrunch their neck down... only time I have seen neck stretched out is when they are having difficulty getting oxygen into their lungs... with mine it was caused by gapeworm... have they been outside long?
 
Keep watching her to see if she is lifting her neck or moving it normally. I thought of coccidiosis because she is looking weak and is the right age. But wry neck or other problem could be possible. Wry neck may be caused by head injury, vitamin E or thiamine deficiency, or some diseases, such as Mareks. Botulism can cause a weak or limber neck, but it probably isn’t that, since it also causes paralysis in legs and wings first. So I would either treat with Corid, or give 2-3 ml of Poultry Cell or NutriDrench daily, a drop or two at a time.
 
Oh, I wasn't saying that it isn't cocci, just that it looked odd for cocci... I would definitely start with most common/least invasive treatment options first and go from there... just coming up with other options to try in case the first don't work... :)
 
Could be the typical botulism poisoning. Treatment for botulism poisoning is a Flush: 1 t Epsom Salt in 1/2 cup water, eye- droppered or poured into throat 2x a day for 2 or 3 days until recovery.
In over 30 years of bantams(and years of large fowl before that) have had just 2 birds with botulism=-and both recovered. I keep the CHICKEN HEALTH HANDBOOK by Gail Damerow--a very good reference. Few Vets do chickens (and local Vets sometimes call me for opinions).
 

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