This is driving me crazy

[welovechickens]

Hi, it's me again!

My smaller chick is sneezing almost constantly today. He/she still eats, drinks and runs around, but isn't growing/developing feathers as quickly as the other chick. It's also still breathing very rapidly. I've been giving them baby-vitamin-laced water through a dropper, which they love, but it didn't seem to make a difference. I tried yogurt today and the bigger chick loves it, but the smaller one seemed to not like it, I guess because it's sour.

Picky picky!

I'm debating whether I should try a round of antibiotics. Anyone have suggestions for me? I'm beginning to wish we hadn't gotten these little guys.

 

[britsngrits]

It sounds like a respatory issue and you should treat with an antibiotic like duramycin 10. If you are sure it is only 1 and not all of them you can try to take him out of the group and treat but normally once you see visible signs in one bird the others have been exposed and it won't be long before you start to see it in others. On the earlier thread I put the recommended dosage from Durvet.

I had this happen to me one night and lucky for me I had the antibiotic... one of my chicks was having such a hard time breathing I didn't think he would last the morning but I forced some with a dropper into him (3 day old chick) and by the next morning he was MUCH better.

Good luck!

 

[welovechickens]

Problem is I only have 2 baby chicks. My other 3 are adults and they currently have an extreme dislike towards the little ones.

The little guys are in a big cage now....I suppose I could separate them with screen wire so only one would be medicated, but they like to snuggle together to sleep.

They're both sneezing today, so I may just go ahead and medicate both and get it over with. Thanks for your advice.