Suddenly very sick chicken - What can I do?

[drjulian]

Chicken is about 13 weeks old. Not sure if hen or rooster (think it might be rooster is smaller then others). In the last 48 hours, he/she and two other 'new' chickens were 'freed' in coop with grown ducks and other chickens (prior to that new ones were in a dog cage in the coop at night to introduce to existing flock and allowed free with everyone else in the run during the day). About a week ago I found a bloody mess in the bottom of the coop (and all over one of the ducks which sometimes sleep below one of the roosting perches). No one seemed to have any symptoms of anything. Came here for advice but no one responded so I searched other forums for help and came to the conclusion that it might be coccidiosis (since new chickens were from another farm about 2 miles down the road) and put the whole flock on corid (1 1/2 teaspoon powder per gallon) for 5 days. No more blood (other then the normal expected traces). They are all back on plain water for the last 5 days. Everyone seemed just fine until yesterday.

Now I have a serious problem with one of the new chickens.

Symptoms:

Yesterday found her/him sitting on ground all alone. Noticed wing feathers not laying normally (a couple were sticking out and pointing down). Considered injury from other chickens or ducks, but could not find any obvious damage, cuts etc. No one else showing any symptoms.

Today: Laying on ground, eyes closed, not eating or drinking, barely responds when touched (will open eyes then close them again). Is very light.

Here is what I have done:

Isolated him/her in the dog cage in the coop. Took some electrolytes and mixed them with medicated feed making a paste.
Using a syringe put a few drops of the mixture in his/her beak (it pretty much dripped out, he/she did not seem to swallow). Gave some plain water by syringe with same result.

A symptom search seems to point to 'egg-bound', but since it is only 13 weeks (and I think a rooster), that does not seem possible. All other chickens (6) and ducks (3) are not showing any symptoms of anything.

From the rapidity with which this chicken declined, I expect to find it passed away but the time I get home from work tonight, but I want to prepare if there is any chance to save it.

Unfortunately, none of the local vets deal with poultry. Apparently there is no money in it. My horse/cow/dog vet has put a call into a friend she was in school with who specializes in birds, but he has not yet called back and is a thousand miles away.

If anyone wants to offer some advice I am clearly in desperate need of help.

(Sorry for being a little cynical but my questions posted here frequently go unanswered.)

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

It is highly like your new bird has picked up the same cocci that caused your earlier issue as even though your birds recovered, the organism to blame are still present in our soil, etc and the new bird, having been previously unexposed to this particular cocci, would not have any resistance to it (this is what explains others seeming find, new bird being sick).
*I* would start a course of Corid - also, any vet, regardless of whether they practice on birds or not, can run a stool sample through their microscope to check for the presence of cocci, so if you really want to know if that is the case before you start treatment (there is no harm in treating if it's not the problem and much harm in delaying if it is the problem) your regular vet can run such an evaluation on droppings from the bird in question likely for a nominal lab fee.

 

[drjulian]

Thank you for the prompt and helpful advice, I will start the corid again.