Urgent help please! Lethargic chickens!

[shmccarthy]

I have a small group of 13 chickens I got from the feed store this year and they all have their juvenile feathers now. Because of that, I moved their brooder from my basement to my garage. Since then, the water in their drinker condensated because it got cold last night (they all stayed warm) and I found them all covered in poop. All their feathers are stuck together and some seem lethargic. I read you can bathe chickens as long as they've grown their feathers. Some have cleaned themselves partially but they're mostly huddling together with their feathers puffed out. I don't know what to do!

 

[shmccarthy]

Oh and some of them aren't as bad. But I have 2 of them that won't clean themselves at all

 

[realsis]

sounds like they might have coccidosis if they are not cold . rule out being too cold. look up coccidosis and see if symptoms match keeping in mind bloody poo doesn't always have to be present yet. if symptoms match treat with CORID. it kills all 9 strains of cocci while other meds only kill some. you might have to carefully help them drink the water with medicine with a dropper if they aren't drinking on there own. if its cocci time is of essence so if symptoms match please start the medicine asap.I've seen corid save many lives.you might bring them back inside for treatment. your sure they aren't cold and huddled together for warmth? please look up coccidosis see if the symptoms match to you. lethargy dishevelled look not eating really sleepy are symptoms of cocci. bloody poo can come later. i hope this is helpful.you can get corid at your feed store usually. i wish you the best and hope they get better soon.

 

[shmccarthy]

I cleaned off all their feathers and they seem to be doing a lot better. The water hopper broke and spilled water all over the bottom of the brooder which I think was the main problem. When I was cleaning them, they all pooped and it all looked normal. I won't rule it out as a possibility and I'm keeping a close eye on them.