Sick/Sleepy chick - update #2

[featherz]

Just put my almost 5 week olds out in the coop last night and one of the leghorns is acting ill this morning.

What with the mayhem in the old brooder it's possible I could have missed something before putting them out, but I don't think so. Her crop's not full, her vent is clear and there's no bloody poop. No access to the ground - they've been in the coop all night and I have not let any of them into the run ever yet. Water bottles are the same, feed is the same (medicated purina starter/grower). She's just sitting around all puffed up with her eyes closed but moves around when I wake her up. I tried separating her back into the brooder but she flew out and started peeping so loudly I put her back for the moment. Gave her a bit of water with Poly-vi-sol and tried to give her some scrambled egg, but she's not hungry. She IS pecking now and then at the ground. All seven of the others seem fine so far.

No panting, etc.

Should I get some antibiotics at TSC just in case it's something bacterial I'm missing?

 

[featherz]

Ok, just in case it's cocci, I went out and got some Corid. All they had was the 20% powder, so I went by the dosing on the package for smaller quantities - about 5.6 gm in a 2.5 gallon water bottle (dosing for cattle was 4 oz/50 gallon). Sound about right? I am giving it to them all. How long should I give them this medicated water? They are also on medicated feed, but if she's got cocci, I guess it overwhelmed the small amount of amprolium there.

 

[featherz]

She has had green poop x 3 although the consistency is normal. No blood. Still walking around and occasionally pecking but lethargic most of the time. I have her separated and all chicks are on corid water. Anyone think it's coccoidosis or?

 

[PunkinPeep]

featherz,

sorry to hear about your chick.

i also think cocci is unlikely, from your description. Have they been fed grass or anything that is normally green?

what kind of bedding are they on in the coop?

if i were you, i might bring her back into the brooder - but maybe with a friend or two - and keep her under the light a little bit longer until she perks back up.

i don't think it's cocci, but if you've got them all on corid water right now, you might take the opportunity to give them access to the ground. they can't build resistance without exposure, so while you're medicating anyway.....

 

[featherz]

Nope, no one has eaten any grass. They've been on the same pine shavings (meaning from the same bag) since birth. She's back in the brooder with a stuffed animal and is SLIGHTLY improved (is pecking at food now and then and showed mild interest in boiled egg yolk). She's tucking her head into her feathers and poofing up on the roost when not walking around.


I'm letting the rest into the run tomorrow - so far none of the rest have green poop.

 

[featherz]

Update - she was doing MUCH better this morning and was eating without difficulty when let out (for the first time) into the run. Now she's back again to sleepy and puffy and droopy but is drinking (corid) water and pecking at crumbles. She perks up now and then and runs around, then back to looking ill. No more green poo - well, it's very DARK green and brown. All the other chicks are still fine (fingers crossed). I keep expecting her to die in her sleep, but then she pops right back up!

I did have a peek down her beak last night (easier said than done!!) and didn't see anything unusual - no sores, large pieces of twine, etc.

I do have the powdered tetracycline - any contraindications to giving her a bit of that separately and still keeping her on the corid water just in case? my TSC was out of injectibles (they are generally out of pretty much everything).

 

[MotherJean]

From what you described, I can't see any reason to believe that any of your flock has cocci. If it was my bird, I'd give antibiotics, but only to the depressed chick. I would probably take her off the Corrid, too, and treat her instead with a few days of Polyvisol vitamins (no iron). I'd give her a couple of drops per day directly in her mouth. How about adding a little heat to the brooder? Is your night time temp. 70 or above?

 

[kathyinmo]

I would not give antibiotics. You don't know what you are treating, and there are different antibiotics for different purposes. I would continue the PolyViSol vitamins, 2 or 3 drops a day for a week. Feeding boiled egg mashed up for protein is good, add some yogurt (plain unflavored). Wouldn't hurt to add ACV (organic apple cider vinegar) in the water, as well. Be sure the ACV is organic, the kind with the "mother" in it, nondistilled. Maybe she would be interested in some oatmeal mixed in, too. Anything to get her interested in eating is good.

 

[featherz]

Night time temp is above 70 (or right around there). I have a thermometer in the coop and it's currently reading about 72. I'll stop the corid and continue on with the poly vi sol. I already feed them plain yogurt and egg as a treat, mixed in with the crumbles. And I normally put ACV in the water but stopped since I had the Corid in there. I'll see how she is this morning (I haven't gone out to the coop yet as it's 430AM - yawn!).

Thanks folks

.

 

[featherz]

Just an update. Said chick is now almost a week older and is still around. She is doing much better - is eating. drinking, flying and dust bathing and only occasionally poofing up and looking uncomfortable. She gets daily yogurt and acv in the water. I've been giving her poly-vi-sol and she no longer has green poop. Only thing left is she has a very pale comb (it was yellow to start with but now it is a very washed out yellow) and she's lost ground in growth as compared to her fellow hatch mates.

She seems to be perking up more each day so I am somewhat hopeful. maybe it was just a sour crop? I didn't smell anything down her beak and haven't noticed her vomiting. I guess it''s 'wait and see' time.