Two days: Sick, better, then sick again! Please help!

[Chickmagnet2015]

Hi there BYC. I am a newbie and could really use someones help. We bought four chicks from a local feed store about a week and a half ago. I'm estimating they are roughly two weeks old. They are all inside, in a brooder box, with pine shavings, and a red bulb heat lamp at 88 degrees. They are on organic unmedicated starter feed and a very light ACV water to drink. One of my chicks (a dominuque) has been fine since we brought her home, until Tuesday when it all began.

At 2 PM Tuesday I came home at lunch to find her very lethargic, not able to stand, walk, eat or drink. She had unkempt feathers and looked very sick. I came home at 5 PM (and following the great advice from other BYC threads gave her yogurt and electrolytes I separated her from the flock to monitor her. No pasty bum either. Though she wouldn't willingly eat, I was able to give her fluids and food. I did this until around midnight when she started acting like her old self again. I woke up throughout the night and she seemed good.

Then Wednesday (yesterday) I watched her all day in the morning she seemed fine, until around 4 PM and the cycle stared over. Fearing it was chicken coccidiosis (though no blood in stool) I bought Corid and started adding that to her water when she got sick again. I also added Probios to her feed too. Again, last night she would't move, eat, or drink She was worse last night than the previous. I honestly did not think she was going to make it. I did the same routine, gave her sugar water to boost her energy, then would get her to eat a few specks at a time, and gradually more. Around 3 AM she was acting better. Now this morning she is acting like her normal self again.

Her stool has been off and on watery and not, but I attribute that to the yogurt. Again, no blood in the stool. I'm at a loss for what to do. I'm worried sick and can't keep up the all night routine for weeks on end. Should I keep giving her Corid, should I be doing something else? Has anyone else had this issue? What else can I be doing?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sorry, sometimes there something wrong with a chick that's internal, well formed chicks usually thrive with minimal care, sounds like you have tried a lot, I would personally lower the heat a bit, it could be too warm. Other than that I wouldn't keep giving it medicine without being sure it needs it, I personally only put a teaspoon of brown sugar in a quart of water for my young ones, to give them a boost of energy, other than that it really is up to the chick, sometimes things aren't right at the start and they don't get going well and cannot recover. Good luck, and I'm sorry for not being able to help you.

 

[KatharinetheGr8]

I agree with @oldhenlikesdogs that perhaps lowering the temperature might help. I'm not sure where you're located, but here in upstate SC today it was really warm and very humid. I'm nowhere near an expert, but my chicks were definitely ready for cooler temps than are recommended basically from the start.

I had a RIR come with my babies earlier this summer who displayed symptoms like yours. I took her out of the brooder and put her right in my bathroom sink and turned the faucet on to a drizzle. She cooled off, drank her fill, and was fine from then on. I then moved their heat lamp and had no further issues. You might want to consider switching out the heat lamp for the "mama heating pad" method - there's a thread on here that outlines this method and only requires a few things you can snag from your local Walmart or that you may have on hand - probably less than $30 total. I intend to use this method with my next batch of babies who will arrive at the end of the month.

(right after surviving her problems)


(as a teen, in the back by the waterer)


I hope you're able to turn the baby's health around and when you do, please let us know! We're right there with you!

 

[enola]

Treat her for 5 days with Corid. The Corid medicated water should be her only source of drinking water.

Coccidiosis is the major killer of chicks under the age of 12-16 weeks. There are several strains of coccidiosis. Not all of them cause bloody stools.

Good luck.

 

[Chickmagnet2015]

Thanks everyone! Excited to report she is doing better! I have a few theories. It could have possibly been the heat that caused it. I also noticed she's the only chick that continuously pecks at the wood chips. I've given her grit to try to deter her from pecking at the shavings. Just to be safe we are doing the corid as well. She's doing much better. Thank you everyone!!!

 

[Chickmagnet2015]

Thank you @KatharinetheGr8! We are in hotter temps too. We will definitely try this.

 

[KatharinetheGr8]

So glad to hear your baby is doing better!

 

[Maikan]

After the Corid treatment make sure you give a couple of days worth of vitamins in water. Glad your chicks doing better.