Sick Rescue Chicks

[BamaSilkies]

I rescued about 25 chicks about a week ago. They average around 6 wks old. They were in a cage outside in cold weather in the open only a piece of tin on top. Some of them were sneezing with a slight rattle. There is no nasal discharge although a few that have died did have some facial swelling. A few have a small amount of ocular discharge just enough to make eye lids stick. Some them were also underweight for their size. Poop looks normal. All the ones with facial swelling have died. I have read and reread over sympton lists and I am not sure what it could be they have some of several diseases but not all of the symptoms of them. What do think?

 

[GreenGoddess]

When I got my first chicks (1 month old and 3 days old) , I had two cockerals and 3 pullets... After a few months, the cockerals were doing great but all three pullets got sick... It almost acted as Coryza without the smell that goes along with it or IB... I gave them antibiotics and it didn't do anything... I finally put them on poly-vy-sol (without iron) and it cleared up within a week... I put them back outside and one of the pullets started getting the same way within a week or so... I once again brought her in the house and put her on vitamins... This time it took about 2 weeks but it FINALLY went away...

Symptoms:

Bubbly eyes
Clogged nares
Facial swelling
feathers fluffed out
lethargy

I swore it was coryza after doing a ton of research but she didn't have ALL the symptoms, especially the smell... I didn't get it.. After she got better, I ran into this PDF file and saw the picture (Figure 1) and after doing some more research found that because the two roos were basically keeping the girls from eating, they were lacking vitamin A, which is why the vitamins helped so much and the antibiotics did not!

I'm not saying this is what *is* going on with your chicks but since they are rescues and you don't know how well they were being fed, if much at all, vitamins couldn't hurt and might actually help! It's worth a try...

On another note, I've have those same hens for almost three years as well as one of the original roos and now have a flock of 24 and have not had another "illness" to date! (knock on wood!)

Whoops.. Forgot to add the PDF and another website that explains a little more about vitamin deficiencies... lol

http://www.apa-abayouthpoultryclub.org/Edu_Material/VITAMINS.pdf

http://www.worldpoultry.net/diseases/vitamin-a-deficiency-d52.html

Goddess

 

[NovaAman]

I would get some albon from a vet or online. It is a very good broad spectrum antibiotic... Get save a chick, even baby liquid vitamins. Hope all progresses better. Good luck.

 

[BamaSilkies]

I have been giving them vitamins. I gave them savachick for three days and then put them on Poultry High Performance which is very high in Vitamin A. This morning there were 3 more gone. I knew that I might lose some. I thought maybe I could save some of them.

 

[BamaSilkies]

anyone have a clue?

 

[Avalon1984]

I don't but whatever it is I hope you are able to keep them separated. I once bought 20 meaties from a "breeder" and lost 12 in 5 days. One of the diseases it may have been was easily transferrable to horses, cats and humans. Don't remember what it was. Just a word of caution. The vet I spoke to also said to burn the dead ones, not bury them for some of the germs remain in the ground. Good luck!

 

[BamaSilkies]

Yes they are separate. I shower after I feed, wear different shoes and disinfect them anyway. I lost another one this evening. I have been burning the dead ones just incase.

 

[BamaSilkies]

Anybody else got any suggestions as to what it could be???

 

[RHRanch]

It could be a couple of things, one of them could be Coroyza, which means they would be carriers capable of transmitting it to other birds even without exhibiting symptoms. If any dies, have a necropsy done to find out for sure what it is. If its Coroyza, you should probably cull all exposed birds. Sorry.

 

[foxypoproxy]

It could be alot of things, Mycoplasmosis (it has been going around), Coryza (normally has a fowl stench with it though), etc.
The facial swelling and ocular discharge makes me think Mycoplasma...but you won't know unless they are tested

I would look here and see what symptoms out of these chicken diseases fit: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044