Sick Chick

[horseshowmomnv]

Good Morning,
I have a Plymouth Rock that is sick. We have tried karo syrup, it picked up a little bit last night, ACV, she ate some chicken scratch. Last night after we feed her she pooped three times. We are feeding medicated feed. Anything else we can do to help this little one. She is smaller than the rest and stands and weaves. Out of 27 chickens I suppose I knew we might lose a few, but was not prepared to watch it happen. She is 2.5 weeks old. Any other idea's? Should I worry about the other 26?

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Other than "weaving," what are her symptoms?

 

[horseshowmomnv]

She will not eat, if I drop water on her beak she will drink, lethargic. Poop looks good. She appears to have some scabs on her head and neck maybe from someone pecking her? Someone on another forum told me NOT to give her medicated feed it depletes their B12... yikes!

 

[AnimalLady123]

I give mine medicated feed mine are fine?

 

[featheredroots]

We got six chicks from MPC and 4 of them displayed symptoms like you're describing. They were all eating,drinking, and pooping just fine, then one by one they started swaying when they stood and rocking when they laid down. We lost the first Friday, then I had to put two down yesterday and one down thismorning.

We tried sugar water, molasses water, ACV, kefir, and nutritional yeast so far nothing has helped. I feed them organic hand mixed feed, but I'm going to get some non medicated chick food today to see if it's something in their food.

I'm not big on separating chicks from the flock because it's hard on them, but if that baby's contagious, you may want to separate or cull her now, so that you don't end up losing them all. It's been a hard four days for us, and you have 26, it would be just aweful to lose that many.

Hope she turns around for you.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I don't know how much help I will be but perhaps this will start the ball rolling and someone else with more illness experience will chime in.

1) Lots of folks feed medicated chick starter with no problems. I would doubt that is the issue.

2) I know that people will say to give sugar (karo syrup in your case?) but I don't see how that is beneficial.

3) How much ACV are you adding to the water?

4) When you say she is eating chicken scratch, do you mean dried corn? Are you giving her chick grit as well then? I'm guessing if she is being offered scratch, she would prefer that over her regular food. If you take the scratch away, will she then eat the food? Are the other chicks keeping her away from the food and water?

5) I don't know what the weaving might be indicative of...sorry.

 

[horseshowmomnv]

I don't know how much help I will be but perhaps this will start the ball rolling and someone else with more illness experience will chime in.

1) Lots of folks feed medicated chick starter with no problems. I would doubt that is the issue.

2) I know that people will say to give sugar (karo syrup in your case?) but I don't see how that is beneficial.

3) How much ACV are you adding to the water?

4) When you say she is eating chicken scratch, do you mean dried corn? Are you giving her chick grit as well then? I'm guessing if she is being offered scratch, she would prefer that over her regular food. If you take the scratch away, will she then eat the food? Are the other chicks keeping her away from the food and water?

5) I don't know what the weaving might be indicative of...sorry.

Just a drop of ACV in a syringe, if that. Yes they have access to grit their brooder is sand and pine shavings. I saw her at the feed a few moments ago eating. She is much smaller than the others. We only gave her the chick scratch last night as incentive to eat, at someone's suggestion. The other chicks are not keeping her away, our brooder is 4x5 so for now there is plenty of room for 27.... All the others seem to be growing, thriving and feathering, unlike her or him. They change their water twice a day, and have two waterer's and two feeders.
Is there such a thing as a runt?

 

[horseshowmomnv]

The chick is the same today, except the lump on the back of her head seems larger. She eats minimally, poops are normal. She does not lay down, will drink from the syringe. I called McMurray today the the lady told me it is probably pneumonia. Her feet are swollen also. Any idea's. Put her on duramycin as per McMurray, she also did not think it was Marek's.