Urgent! Baby chick keeps sitting down and sleeping and is off balance

[PippaC]

Hi there,

My baby chick is 4 weeks old and she started yesterday to sit down all the time and sleep. Does anyone know what might cause this? I'm afraid that she is really sick but as it's Easter there's no vets open for a few days now!! Eep! She has no balance and just sits to the side all the time. I've been looking for her poo but haven't been able to find any yet :/ My partner said he saw her poo but I haven't yet. Any advice of what I could do in the meantime until I can give you updates on her stool would be really appreciative!!! I'm soooo worried! I just have her on the chick feed. She is eating and drinking a bit but not as much as usual. They love eating out of my hand and when I put my hand in she just pecks it a bit and then sits down on it (usually she would eat and then run away for a bit) I'm going to go get a box now so I can separate her from the rest but I'm worried that if she has something, the others will already have it.

Please, any advice would be very reassuring! I just lost a chick the other day and I don't think I could cope losing another one! I love them so much.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would get some Corid (amprollium) or Ampromed and treat them all for 5 days for coccidiosis. Dosage is 1.5 tsp of powder (or 2 tsp of liquid Corid) to a gallon of water, change water daily. Give vitamins and probiotics after finishing Corid. There doesn't have to be blood in the poop. Here is a link to read: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/12/coccidiosis-what-backyard-chicken.html

 

[PippaC]

Great, thank you. Yes, I think she has cocci. The video in that link was very helpful. I've managed to talk the vet into coming in and giving me some medicine for her. However, if my chickybabe is on day 4 of the cocci disease, do you think she still has a chance if she gets the medicine today?! All my fingers and toes are crossed!!!

 

[gander007]

X 2 with Eggcessive

But till you can get it try a hard boiled egg remove the shell and mash the egg up really good then serve and see if she will eat it and the egg is all natural also she will get some much needed nutrients to help in recovery as well as helping her go poo ....

 

[Eggcessive]

I would just get the Corid or Ampromed from the cattle section of your feed store right away. Your vet however could do a fecal examine and confirm the coccidiosis. Buttermilk or a small amount of milk mixed with chick feed will help coat the GI tract until you get meds, but hurry. Are you seeing any blood or orange in the stools?

 

[PippaC]

Thank you so much for your help!!
Ok, she did 1 big poo earlier. It was very watery and yellowish and I think I found a bit of orange or blood but it's hard to tell. Doesn't look like the pictures I found on the internet though. The second one was small but looked quite healthy. I got some medicine now but the vet didn't take a stool sample (he's not a bird specialist and I would guess he's more into dogs from the pictures on the wall) I gave her some egg and she couldn't get enough of it! Nearly ate my fingers off It sent her crazy, running off with it. Was great to watch. So that was promising. I didn't know how much I should give her so just gave her a bit. And might make her another one later. The vet didn't sound that positive But I am going to cross my fingers and have faith!! Her balance is really bad and getting worse. She can't really walk and she's just lying down all the time. So I am just keeping a very good eye on her. Am feeding the water mixture (with meds) with a syringe every few hours. I hope that's enough. She's still eating a bit which is good. I think she might be on day 4 or 5 of the disease and I read that's when they usually die ;( Eeep! So I'm assuming if she makes if past 6 days, she'll be alright. C'mon Spok! Fight! Fight! Fight!

 

[PippaC]

She's also pecking her own feet ALL the time now to the point where it looks as though she's starting to get sores on them. A bit weird?

 

[gander007]

Thank you so much for your help!!
Ok, she did 1 big poo earlier. It was very watery and yellowish and I think I found a bit of orange or blood but it's hard to tell. Doesn't look like the pictures I found on the internet though. The second one was small but looked quite healthy. I got some medicine now but the vet didn't take a stool sample (he's not a bird specialist and I would guess he's more into dogs from the pictures on the wall) I gave her some egg and she couldn't get enough of it! Nearly ate my fingers off It sent her crazy, running off with it. Was great to watch. So that was promising. I didn't know how much I should give her so just gave her a bit. And might make her another one later. The vet didn't sound that positive But I am going to cross my fingers and have faith!! Her balance is really bad and getting worse. She can't really walk and she's just lying down all the time. So I am just keeping a very good eye on her. Am feeding the water mixture (with meds) with a syringe every few hours. I hope that's enough. She's still eating a bit which is good. I think she might be on day 4 or 5 of the disease and I read that's when they usually die ;( Eeep! So I'm assuming if she makes if past 6 days, she'll be alright. C'mon Spok! Fight! Fight! Fight!

Alright keep us posted on Spok 's progress

 

[PippaC]

Yessssssssss she's ALIIIIIIIIIIIVE!

One night down. Last night I wasn't so confident as she was looking pretty bad but I got up every 2 hours and gave her a drink of the water and this morning she was looking MUCH better. She even manged to wake me up with her chirping and jump out of the basket I had her in so thing's are looking up! Not out of the woods yet but I'm feeling hopeful I am certainly a happier chicken mummy today!!!!
Thanks for all your help. I'll keep you posted.