sick chicks-1dead

[Akane]

My 2 serama chicks about 4 weeks old have been acting somewhat lethargic yesterday. They were in with button chicks who were and still are acting fine so I've just been keeping an eye on them. They have been eating and drinking normally but today were definitely not as active and shivering. I decided to put them back under heat and went to move them to the other brooder. When I set them down clear stuff slightly thicker than water ran out of one chick's beak. Now they are huddled under the lamp. I don't see any gunk on their eyes or beaks and they don't have anything stuck to the feathers around their rear ends but I don't yet know what their droppings are like. I'm leaving thursday evening and not coming back until sunday night so whether this is an emergency or not I need something now. Ideas?

 

[dlhunicorn]

Are you giving medicated starter? If not then if it were me I would put on cocci med.

 

[Akane]

No they've been eating 22% gamebird feed with the quail. I was just asking someone to pick up medicated starter. What meds treat cocci? The feedstores here rather suck for meds and last time I couldn't even find vetrx.

They are getting more active now that they are back under the light. Not that they weren't in a warm room kept at about 80F anyway.

 

[dlhunicorn]

If symptomatic (as they appear to be from your post) then the med feed alone might not be sufficient... ask at your feed store and if they have none then check out an online supplier like JEFFERS or contact Peter Brown at FirstStateVetSupply and request it be sent overnite... here is the link (should be a phone number where you can leave a message in the contact link ):
http://www.firststatevetsupply.com/store/index.php

 

[Akane]

ok but what am I looking for beyond medicated feed?

Also what would treat a respiratory infection should it turn out to be that instead? It would be best to have everything on hand when I leave so if one thing doesn't work I can give directions over the phone to try something else.

 

[NotTheMomma]

Sometimes when you pick up a chick that has just eaten, and their crop is full, a bit will come up if you accidentally press on the crop.

I would just monitor that, keep them warm, and watch that they are eating and drinking ok.

I wouldn't treat with any med just yet.

Good Luck.

 

[Akane]

They are definitely sick even if they have no real obvious symptoms. They are very lethargic and shivering despite being back under the light and can't seem to find a comfortable temperature. Sometimes the pullet is panting while the roo next to her is shivering and then they wiggle out of the light a little, make lots of unhappy peeps, wiggle back under the light and go back to panting sometimes while still shivering. I would actually guess they might be feverish because they are acting like a person that piles the blankets on and makes themselves too hot while still shivering and feeling cold.

 

[Akane]

Called around everywhere and noone has amprolium or sulphadimethoxine. The chicks spent a few hours uncomfortably scooting in and out from under the light and then started to get more active. I put the medicated starter in there and they inhaled it. They were eating in with the quail chicks so I don't know why they decided they needed to try to eat the whole feeder full. They were perching on top of the feeder, falling off it, shoving each other, and just being normal active chicks while also trying to empty the whole feeder into themselves. I debated removing it because of how full their crops were but everyone always says to let chicks eat as much as they want and it is just chick starter. Well today I found the pullet dead. I don't know if it's from being sick, stuffing her crop like that, or just overheating because she kept laying too far under the light and panting without moving herself. The roo chick is acting completely normal now. Not shivering, very active, still inhaling chick starter.

I just don't know what happened.