URGENT: 4 week old chick droopy puffed up less active smaller appetite straining to poo

[solomine]

I first noticed two days ago that my chick was having a hard time passing out a piece of poop. It came out when I startled her (but she'd been struggling to push it out for a few minutes).

A day ago she started being less active, and would crouch down and fluff up her feathers. She was easier to pick up as well (not sure if she was getting more tame or if she had less energy).

Today, she still looked a lot less active than she usually was. I tried to feed my chicks their favorite food (plain yogurt mixed with their feed) but she only took a few bites. I gave them a clump of wheatgrass and she perked up and investigated it/ate some grass like the rest of my chicks. I looked at her butt and it looked wet (a small area of feathers were slicked down around her bum) and her cloaca looked puffy and ... pulsed often.

Gave her a bath and she seemed to like it and pooped a tiny poop.

An hour later, I saw a little bit of liquid (clearish) coming out of her bum.

Other details:
I provide grit
I didn't find any bloody/weird poops
Her crop feels kinda hard

Any advice? She's my favorite chick and I've already lost one..

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Given her age I would go ahead and treat for coccidiosis with Corid if it were me, even though there is the possibility there is something going on with her crop as well.

If she ate too much grit there could be some kind of blockage but I would first try to worry about cocci. Diarrhea, fluffing up and lethargy are worrisome signs.

I give the Corid 9.6% solution, 9.5 ml per gallon as the only drinking water for 5 days. Mix new solution daily and don't administer vitamins at the same time due to it being a thiamine blocker.

It doesn't have to be bloody diarrhea for it to be coccidiosis:
http://www.clemson.edu/public/lph/ahp/disease_links/images/coccidia.pdf

I would treat all the chicks, as if it is coccidosis it is contagious through the poo. I hope this helps. (Corid is in the cattle section of the feed store but is approved for poultry.)

 

[solomine]

Her crop was empty this morning but she's still puffed up and her bum is still damp. I saw her successfully pooing, and it didn't look too abnormal, but was kinda lumpy. I'll have to fetch some Corid soon.

 

[solomine]

Actually, now that I've watched her for some time, she goes from being fluffed up and sleepy looking to normal (aside from the fact that she seems to groom/peck at her butt quite often). She keeps see-sawing between looking lethargic to being perky (she's even chirping right now and eating). Maybe she feels better? I'll still get the treatment for coccidiosis.

 

[casportpony]

Try to get her to drink more, too.

-Kathy

 

[MySweetChickens]

try giving her vegetable oil
to help her poo

 

[casportpony]

And make a mash with her crumbles. Personally, I wouldn't give any grit or grains, just wet chick crumbles.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

try giving her vegetable oil
to help her poo

Look up lipoid pneumonia. Oil I would not recommend.

-Kathy

 

[solomine]

I've heard of using epsom salts to give your chicken a little spa treatment to help her relax and ease the passing of poo (as well as having laxative effects if you give her some separately in water). Would you guys recommend this?

My source:
http://www.gardenbetty.com/2013/10/the-spa-treatment-for-sick-chickens/

She is definitely being noisier (noisy in a normal way --yesterday she was completely quiet). I hope this is a good sign
The biggest problem I see now is that her butt is definitely puffier than the other chicks and I see her tail moving as she strains quite often (and the fact that it's wet is concerning...)
She seems to fuss with her butt a lot too.

I gave them some grit to help them with some mealworms :O They seemed to be doing fine with them (I gave them a few starting little more than a week ago).

I give them wet chick crumbles mixed with plain yogurt quite often (they go crazy for it).

 

[casportpony]

Water is where you should start for a laxative. Think about it, what do doctors usually recommend for people? It's water, water kepps the gut mobile. No need for any laxatives right now, just lots of water and moist food, but I'd also start Corid as suggested by chickensaresweet. If you can't get the liquid Corid, get the 20% powder and use 1.5 teaspoons per gallon for 5 days.

-Kathy