Sick, staggering chick

[kinnip]

One of my 2 1/2 week old Red Stars is sick. I've noticed almost everyone in the brooder sneezing for the past week, but no other signs of illness. She's been sleeping a lot, but I thought it might just be a cold. Last night she tried to stand, staggered about a bit then fell over. When I pick her up her left foot curls. Neither foot seems capable of grasping, but she can push with them. There are no signs of injury. She's only pooed once since last night, but it was normal brown and firm, . Her vent looks normal and her crop is empty. She was very hot last night when I picked her up and seemed to be panting a little. She's no longer panting or very hot, but is still unable to stand without staggering. Her wings are also droopy. Her feathers look rough, but at this age all their feathers look rough. When I handle her, she just feels floppy. She's one of the biggest chicks in the lot, so weight loss hasn't become an issue yet. I have her separated from the others. She's eating and drinking. I use pine shavings as bedding, feed chick starter with amprolium and vitamins (A,D, E and riboflavin) added. Also, her water has a vitamin and electrolyte powder added. She has a heat lamp, but it's not directly on her, the temp in her current quarters is around 85-90. She is alert and tries to get away when I reach for her, she just can't.

 

[dlhunicorn]

I would try the polyvisol enfamil formulation (three drops in beak once a day for a week) ...
How long have you been putting electrolytes in the water? You must be careful and give them only when indicated> when you suspect she is drinking insufficiently... or when she is panting continuously.

If all yoru birds are sneezing it could be there is a buildup of ammonia (change the bedding more than once a day if necessary) ... or that there is too little ventilation (or viceversa >there is a draft)

Chickens do not "just get a cold". They will have a respiratory ailment or it may be due to soemthing else (vit A deficiency is one of those assoc most commonly with resp conditions)
It is sometimes very difficult to figure out and for me impossible as I am not in your position to observe and know all the details of your setup.

 

[kinnip]

I've been adding electrolytes since they arrived. I've read a number of books which have all suggested adding a bit of electrolyte powder for the first three weeks. I haven't been adding much. The respiratory issues seem to have cleared up, but she still is having difficulty standing up straight. I still think the curled toes are significant. She did have another poo and it was dark green and a bit runny. I'm going to do a fecal exam on it. Does anyone have any good pics of avian worms and eggs? She's making one heck of a racket since I removed her from the brooder. It's had everyone up all night, so walking funny or not, she's got more energy than I do.

 

[kinnip]

This is their brooder when I'm out. When I'm in I pull the top off and lay a roosting pole across the top and pretty much let them roam the room. There are no pesticides or moth balls or anything that can hurt them and I do keep an eye on how far from the brooder they get.

 

[kinnip]

I'm really scared. She eats like mad, but she's having more trouble standing. She has a tendency to fall over and leave her legs stretched out behind her. It looks like some of the Marek's pics I've seen, but the hatchery was supposed to have vaccinated her. She just chirps and chirps. When she tries to walk, it's like her feet won't bend and when they do she ends up on her hiney. She's trying help herself along with her wings. I feel like I'm either feeding her too much or not enough of something. She's so alert and aware. I feel so bad. I did a fecal and found nothing significant. I'll need to do another to feel sure, but I just don't think it's worms. None of the other chicks are showing any sign of illness. They arrived in the same box from the same hatchery. They eat and drink the same things and lived in a brooder with this girl for more than two weeks. In retrospect, I think she's been bad off longer than I'd like to admit. She's done a lot of sleeping over the last week. She's just not a bird I handled often, or apparently even pay attention to. She liked to stay near the heat lamp and I don't remember seeing her as often at the food dish as the others, which is weird because she's always been one of the larger birds. I really don't want her to die bacause I wasn't paying attention.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Have you started her on the PolyViSol drops? I would give her plain water and unmedicated starter with the PolyViSol drops. Make sure she is able to get to her feed and water.

 

[kinnip]

Where do I find Polyvisol? I removed the electrolytes from the water. Again, I don't know where to find unmedicated starter. The local feedstore doesn't have any. Is there a good substitute?

 

[LoveKhlassy]

I have a chick like that too, mine just sits in a corner shivering and has her eyes closed. she is half the size of the others. and her rear is pasted,...is there anyway i can help her?

 

[kinnip]

Just did a search on polivisol. Duh...it's for human babies. If you'd told me to crush up some birth control pills to feed her, it would have been a cinch.

I've done some calling around and found a place in Bowden that sells unmedicated feed. I'll let you know what happens. Thanks all.

 

[kinnip]

I'm going to pickup that feed now and I'd like to use it for all the chicks. I've never much liked the idea of feeding meds unnecessarily. Should I wean them off of the medicated stuff (to prevent opportunistic infection), or just pull them of it cold turkey?