Very Sleepy 3 1/2 week old Rhode Island Red

[SabbyAndHerGals]

Hi,
This is my first post. I have 6 baby chicks that are 3 1/2 weeks old (1 BO, 1 GoldSexLink, 1 Black Australorp, 1 Barred Plymouth Rock, 1 California White and 1 Rhode Island Red) and another 3 that are 1 1/2 weeks old (1 Ameraucana, 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 1 Welsummer). I had another from the younger group that only lasted 6 days. It got very lethargic and eventually died. I got "Farm Boost" (electroylytes vitamins) and put it in their water. I wasn't so much worried with my older chicks until yesterday when my Rhode Island Red who is 3 1/2 weeks old got really lethargic and is predominately keeping her eyes shut. Also, a Golden Sex Link that is the same age is now double her weight and size. I do see her eat and drink but she's just so lethargic and not curious like the others.

Any advice? She was fine until recently.

And also, I have a 1.5 qt/liter water container. A lady at a local feed store said to put in 1/4 teaspoon of the Farm Boost. The bag's directions are impossible to figure out for a small amount. Any advice on the exact amount would be appreciated too.

Thanks!

 

[TacomaChickNMom]

I have a (maybe 5 days old) chic who is very lethargic as well. I'm worried that she is going to die. :-(

So the electrolytes typically are 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. There are 4 quarts per gallon. so, it would be a little more than 1/2 of a 1/8 teaspoon (or an 1/8 teaspoon half full) for a 1.5 liter watering thing, if that makes sense. I imagine if you are a tiny bit over/under it is OK.

 

[SabbyAndHerGals]

Thanks for the info. My Light Brahma didn't last a week. It's sucks when they do fine for 3 weeks, get a descent amount of feathers and then just stop progressing.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Treat them with Corid for coccidiosis when they start acting lethargic like that. Especially chicks that have been doing well. It's a very, very common thing for chicks to get and it's easily treated but you have to treat it right away. There are sometimes other reasons why a chick might stop thriving and die but coccidiosis is a number one suspect with those symptoms in a previously healthy chick. It certainly never hurts to treat them and rule it out and you just might save them by doing so.

 

[SabbyAndHerGals]

Thanks "cafarmgirl" for the info about Corid. My 2 local feed stores don't carry it so I got Duramycin and put it in their water at 1/2 tsp per 1 quart of water. I also used an old ear/nasal syringe and got the chick to immediately get some of the medicated water right away. She seemed to perk up a bit and then ate and got more medicated water on her own, but then back to the just standing with her eyes shut. I did notice what seemed like a slightly bloody poop in the brooder. I can only assume it came from her, there are 8 other birds. Only time will tell. This adventure of owning chicks is proving to be slightly more difficult than I could have imagined. But I'll keep trying.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Thanks "cafarmgirl" for the info about Corid. My 2 local feed stores don't carry it so I got Duramycin and put it in their water at 1/2 tsp per 1 quart of water. I also used an old ear/nasal syringe and got the chick to immediately get some of the medicated water right away. She seemed to perk up a bit and then ate and got more medicated water on her own, but then back to the just standing with her eyes shut. I did notice what seemed like a slightly bloody poop in the brooder. I can only assume it came from her, there are 8 other birds. Only time will tell. This adventure of owning chicks is proving to be slightly more difficult than I could have imagined. But I'll keep trying.

If this chick has coccidiosis Duramycin, which is an antibiotic, will do no good. Cocci are a protozoa that over grow in the chicks gut, not a bacterial infection. If the feed store doesn't have Corid your next option would be Sulmet. I don't care for it since it only treats a couple strains of cocci and is much harsher on the birds but it's better then nothing. Check feed stores that carry supplies for cattle, they should have the Corid. If you saw bloody poop in addition to these other symptoms you may definitely have a chick with cocci and the others can go the same route quickly.

 

[SabbyAndHerGals]

Well it must not be coccidiosis because the Duramyacin is working really well. The sleepy lethargic RIR (27 days old) is now done a complete 180. Now she has her eyes open staring at me curiously, she's eating and drinking just fine and she's even jumping up onto the little perches that we have inside the brooder box. I'm convinced that if I had gotten this stuff last week, my Light Brahma would have survived. Plus, we have an Ameraucana who was the same age as the Light Brahma, and I was afraid she was going to pass, but she's doing better too.

Thanks for the info and for anyone else who has a baby chick that was fine at first and then got really lethargic, standing around with their eyes shut, even keeping their eyes shut when you picked them up, Duramycin in the water worked for me. 1/2 teaspoon per 1 quart of water (which is the amount of water I put in the small brooder box water container (the container says it is 1.5L/1.5Q size).