Sleepy Chicken Disease?

[featherz]

I posted a similar problem this morning about my 4.5 week old chick but no responses - maybe there's 'sleepy chicken disease' going around?

I did put her and all my others on Corid just in case it's cocci. They've only been in the coop one night and I don't know where they would have been exposed, but I don't think it could hurt at this point.

(My chick is holding her own so far but ..)

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
Hi, i'm not trying to criticize; i'm just telling you what i would do to try to figure out what's going on. By your description - and maybe i don't have the right picture - i would leave her alone and see if she perks up. Hope she feels better right away.

 

[MotherJean]

I hear ya. Been right where you are many times over the years of keeping chickens. I posted this reply over on similar thread. Hopefully, reposting here doesn't get on the wrong side of the moderators.

I wrote:
There's folks who will disagree with me (some adamantly), but when in doubt I medicate with a broad spectrum antibiotic like terramycin (Duramycin). I isolate and only give the antibiotic to the sick bird and continue to look for observable symptoms for a more definitive diagnosis. If a bird isn't showing improvement in a couple of days or I start seeing evidence of cocci, then I will stop the antibiotic and treat with Sulmet or Corrid. And, of course, if I come up with a diagnosis that can't be helped by either drug, I stop both and go a different way.

Like I said, there's many who will vehemently disagree with my methods, but it works for me a good percentage of the time. When it doesn't, I generally assume that the unknown disease or condition was probably beyond treatment (at least without the aid and expense of a Vet). I subscribe to the medical ethic of "first, do no harm." Neither of these treatments are harmful even if they are ineffective. The bottom line is, if I think a bird is going downhill and likely to die, I'd rather do something that fails, than to do nothing because I'm afraid of making a mistake.

Not saying my approach is the right one or the only one - just throwing it out there for your consideration.

 

[BjsBestGirl]

MotherJean,
Thank you for your response. It is comforting and reassuring to know that im not the only one who thinks the way I do. I felt that I'd rather give her medicine, which covers many ailments, and try to care for her the best I can than to do nothing at all. The way of life here in the part of Arkansas where I live is harsh for poultry life. Many people around here would criticize me for not just killing it at the first sign of illness since it could be potentially contagious and hazardous not only to other animals, but also to the humans who consume them. When reading that statement I just made, consider that Arkanas is the #1 state in the entire U.S. for the poultry industry and others are just looking out for themselves when criticizing me in this way; which is completely understandable. So rather than killing it, and rather than doing nothing, I do everything I can to help it live to the extent of financial sanity. As of now, I cannot tell the difference between my sick chicken and the ones who were not sick. She has made, what appears to be, a 90% recovery. The other 10% is that she still seems a bit weak. No drooping, No funny pooping, eating everything I give her, and drinking everything also. She is a Polish Crested. I have 8 Polish crested hens and if I were to mix them up, I wouldnt be able to tell the difference between the previousely sick one and the healthy ones. That being said I will not giver her another shot of the specrtum because, at this time, I do not feel that she needs it. In about a week I will give her a booster shot or a day of isolation with viatmin water to ensure she is at her full health. Tomorrow I will release her from Isolation. I am giving ALL my birds Electrolyte water to try and keep their immune system up and I will continue this for a couple days or so.

Furthermore , on our farm we have, 75 chickens, 42 cattle, 1 horse, 1 dog, 2 cats, 26 quail, and about 100 eggs going to hatch in the incubator; which are guinea, chicken, and turkey. I love raising animals and only started with fowl this year. My fiance has been doing this his whole life. To be perfectly honest, I have only ever administered 2 shots to anilams before and one was yestrday; the other was 2 weeks ago.

Please, please, please..... No one EVER take offense anything I say. Sometimes when I talk, things dont come out the way I mean it. I am a very nice person with an incredibly sweet disposition; I just have ADHD.

 

[chickenzoo]

With chickens it can be very difficult to find a vet that will even give you advice let alone see a chicken. I've had them treat my one roo as an exotic at one clinic and I came out with a $174 rooster no better than when he went in. I did more for him then they did...... he is now my most expensive rooster, LOL. I did find one vet that will treat when I can afford it, and he is pretty fairly priced. My one vet that treats my horses will do what ever I ask but does not know birds although he has been very helpful. When it comes to chickens you are often on your own... well not really ....we are here.. LOL I hope someone else has an answer. I always start with the cheapest or best guess of treatment and work my way up.

 

[sunkissed]

Sounds like you are dealing with the same issue that I am. I have a 2.5 month old Auracana, who is SO sweet and cute. She will sit in your lap and just take a chicken nap. However, sometimes I will walk over to the coop to let them out to free range and she will be sprawled out in the dirt. I hold my breath, expecting to find her dead, and wha-la... she jumps up and acts totally normal. She eats (and is as plump as she should be), she drinks, she poops ... what gives? I am at a loss too. I kid that she is narcoleptic, but that is not the case obviously. LOL. Any help or advice would be awesome.

 

[yummychocolate3]

I had a welsummer that just died today. From the moment I bought her in July she slept a lot. Breeder said she was 3 Mos old. She did not grow very much and she was eating drinking normally but constantly sleeping. I thought it was just the breed because my chics grew bigger than her so then I thought maybe she sold me a banty welsummer. Well apparently something was ailing her because she died. Would anyone know what it was?