Urgent Help Needed

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
If you aren't seeing any blood in the chicks poo, then I'd lean towards wet / moldy feed. Unfortunately, there isn't anything to do in that case except go out and make sure there isn't any moldy feed in the feeders to protect the others.

 

[posey]

Hi Crazyelk:
So sorry to hear your baby is sick. I can so relate to this, I've been dealing with similar things in my 7 week olds for the last 3 weeks.

Isolate her from any others. Extra TLC will help anyone.
Grind up her chick feed very fine and mix it with a little plain yogurt, then water this down so that it will easily go through a medicine dropper. Place one drop at a time on the top of her beak and let her swallow it or shake it off.

Do not place any liquid or slurry food into an open beak!! This can be deadly.

The yogurt will help her digestive tract to develop good bacteria to fight infection. You can also get her to take 2 drops of baby vitamins (no iron added, please) on her beak - this can help her get the nutrition she needs if she is not eating because she doesn't feel well.

Absolutely essential to help her to drink and eat a slurry of above. If she won't eat the chick feed slurry then try mixing a little water and babyfood oatmeal and applesauce mixture and drop that onto her beak. It comes in a little jar and you will only need to mix up a very small amount at a time. Same for the chick food / yogurt / water mix above.

If she doesn't eat or drink she will go down hill very quickly. Keep watching the eyes, nose, and listen to her breathe.

Your case maybe different than mine but my first sick ones didn't really have the clear respiratory symptoms, just the closed or swollen eye and off their feed, water, and just sitting around.

Later I realized once others got sick and had the respiratory symptoms that I needed to give them an antibiotic. I used LS-50 mixed into the water. It took mine about 5 days to really start to improve but then I was messing around for a week or so trying to figure out what they had. I did loose 4 of my birds, still have 3 that are about 80% and the rest appear to be just fine.

The gatorade mixed into the feed or oatmeal babyfood would probably work too.

I did have to flavor the medicated water to get them to drink it. I use a little sugar. Oh, you must mix the antibiotic water fresh each day,it become ineffective if you don't. Just good to know.

I also dripped sterile saline water on the closed eye to keep it clean and moist. Mine seemed to scratch at it. Also a product called VetRx is good to help with breathing in the nostrils if they get crusty.

Hopefully, some others with more experience than me will jump in here and offer suggestions for you. I just thought that I would offer what I can until then.

Hope she recovers soon,
Posey

 

[crazyelk]

Thanks to everyone for the quick replies! Please keep the suggestions coming.

Update - since isolation I have noticed poo that is mostly white and real watery.

 

[gumpsgirl]

If that is what you are seeing, then I wouldn't be so likely to suspect cocci. I'd more lean toward the moldy feed.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
If you aren't seeing any blood in the chicks poo, then I'd lean towards wet / moldy feed. Unfortunately, there isn't anything to do in that case except go out and make sure there isn't any moldy feed in the feeders to protect the others.

Not all forms of cocci call bloody stool. In fact, most don't.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Hmmm... That's interesting and something I will take into account. From everything I've been told or read, the bloody stool goes with cocci. Thanks for that input.

 

[jenni2142]

My cocci started with the watery white poo and then just a little blood in it later. Mine didn't fluff up like that until a few days later.

 

[crazyelk]

Well the baby passed. I didn't really have time to read all the post before it was too late. Thanks to everyone. After it had expired I picked it up and the was a puss substance that came from it mouth. And right before it died the bird flopped around pretty violently. I know that these are some details that some people might not want to here but if I could find out what went wrong then I could probaby stop this from happening to my other birds. If any of this sound like anything I would greatly appreciate any post.

Thanks!

 

[gumpsgirl]

I'm so sorry.

If this truly is a form of cocci and not moldy feed (which I'd still check the feed) then you need to start all of the babies on corid or sulmet A.S.A.P., as others have suggested, to help save them from the same fate.

 

[posey]

O I hate to hear this. I am so sorry you lost the little one.
It makes it so hard when you are trying to do all that you know and still they don't make it. I got more attached during the 'try to save them' period. Maybe you did too. Someone told me that chickens are a little difficult to diagnose because they don't show many symptoms early on. By the time we realize that they are sick things have progress very far. Makes it harder, sometimes.

I have no idea what happened based on what you described.

My first had a rather dramatic end too. She was laying quietly in my hand, then the train went by our house and blew the whistle. She sat up, sqauked very loudly, threw her head back and that was it.

I don't know where you live but your State may have animal disease laboratories that do necropsy for a minimal charge. I didn't do it with my first but did with the last two. You need to get there as shortly after death as possible (they like it if you can bring them in just before death). This can help to eliminate a lot of guess work and can help to protect the others. You won't get the biddy back, just so you know. It's something to keep in mind for the future if you ever have the need.

I would hope that someone else would post something abour her symptoms at death. Read through any posts that come up on the search for those things that you mentioned. I'd also check out the cocci possiblity like others have suggested.

Here's hoping the rest will be fine,
Posey