Sickness spreading among chicks? Please help!

[cmom]

Happy 4th of July, btw! Always an emergency on a holiday or Sunday afternoon or weekend, right?

I appreciate you both taking time out from your holiday to help. My chickens thank you too!

Where in Florida do you live? I'm between Ocala and Crystal River.

 

[FLChickens]

Ah, thanks. I will discard and remix the coop's water then. I added RoosterBooster out there. I'll go with just Corid, and see if I can mix the RoosterBooster with food or something.

 

[FLChickens]

Where in Florida do you live? I'm between Ocala and Crystal River.

About half an hour from Pensacola. Not really close, I get down to Ocala every once in awhile.

 

[cmom]

About half an hour from Pensacola. Not really close, I get down to Ocala every once in awhile.

Just curious.

 

[FLChickens]

Well the little Wyandotte seemed to rebound, but then weakened again. She died. Almost all of the others are looking near-normal. All are back in the run/coop with mamas.

I'm watching my last remaining Wyandotte (month old) who is still a bit lethargic, but picking at the ground, walking around just a little, wings held pretty tight, and a week-old RIR, who seems pretty chipper but is just so young to be dealing with weakness. Separating them stresses them too - they act more normally with the others. So I'll keep a close eye and leave them in the coop/run if they seem to at least maintain. Water there is treated as well.

Thanks again!

 

[FLChickens]

Just curious.

View attachment 1064766

How cool! Well if I get down I'd like to at least come check it out. I don't know of anything like that near me. Thanks!

 

[brucifer]

Wondering if you checked the stools of the chicks to see if there is presence of blood. That's one of the symptoms of a coccidiosis infection.

 

[FLChickens]

Wondering if you checked the stools of the chicks to see if there is presence of blood. That's one of the symptoms of a coccidiosis infection.

I literally know almost nothing about chicken illnesses. Nursed plenty of injured ones, dealt with a few parasites, (leg mites and gapeworms), but have not dealt with actual illness really.

Their stools (those in the box) were runny, and there was a more brownish-reddish color than normal. I had paper towels down under them, so if the blood should seep to the edges as it soaks in and appear pure red, then no. But I'm used to brownish to greenish formed stools with the white on top. So stools we're not normal at all, but I don't know if I'd say they are bloody or not.

 

[brucifer]

The periodic wet brown stools that most healthy young chickens have will usually be red and watery if a chick has cocci. For the most part Corid is a good preventative treatment for coccidiosis, but it has the side effect of stripping vitamin B from chicks.

I think you were smart to refrigerate a dead chick because whatever your chicks have, it seems to be contagious. Have you considered getting in touch with your county extension service and seeing if they can in turn put you in touch with the county poultry expert? That person may be able to readily identify the problem and also may be able to perform an analysis on the dead chick.

 

[FLChickens]

The periodic wet brown stools that most healthy young chickens have will usually be red and watery if a chick has cocci. For the most part Corid is a good preventative treatment for coccidiosis, but it has the side effect of stripping vitamin B from chicks.

I think you were smart to refrigerate a dead chick because whatever your chicks have, it seems to be contagious. Have you considered getting in touch with your county extension service and seeing if they can in turn put you in touch with the county poultry expert? That person may be able to readily identify the problem and also may be able to perform an analysis on the dead chick.

I've thought about it. I'd want more info first. I want to be sure no one is going to want to destroy even healthy ones. And cost would be an issue. I've been dealing with medical treatments that have kept me essentially out of work for a year, and my husband has lost a lot of hours with all the rain we've had for several weeks.

But I wanted to have the chick, just in case it was possible and necessary.