Weak & Lethargic (5 Day Old)

[SemperChicken]

I got unmedicated just from the general census I got when I searched here on BYC.

 

[carolinasculpture]

Hi! So sorry for your loss. How are the others doing? I too, got salmon favorelles, cockerels, for the same reason you mentioned. In my research, I found that the breed is "sensitive and not hardy" as chicks. So I ordered 2, one did die. Seemed neurological, has "seizures", gradually got worse. I had to put him down as he was miserable and couldn't stand anymore. The other one seemed to be doing well...until a raccoon jumped on the net from a tree, by-passing the electric fence. . Anyway, just wanted to pass along part about them not being hardy, it seems like you are doing everything right. Good luck!
Edit to say, I did order mine from a hatchery, can't remember which one, it was through a local feed store, but it wasn't My Pet Chicken.

 

[keesmom]

If the other chicks are fine I would lean towards the chicks being frail rather than coccidiosis. You could get a bottle of Corid just in case.

Too bad hatcheries have issues with them. I know of someone who got some from another hatchery and she lost most. I have a flock of breeder Faverolles and I rarely lose a chick. If you were closer I would help you replace them.

 

[newmarch2014]

aTreating them does not hurt them in any way so the thought is better to treat and be wrong than not treat if they are showing the right symptoms. After last years scare and great results I just treated the first sign I had of all runny poop out of everyone for a few times in a row and one acting a little more tired than it should. I am not sorry I did as the runny poop went on for another day and a 1/2 but was soon gone and all their apetites increased at the same time. And yes medicated feed does have ampolium though I am not sure if it is a significant overload that the medicated feed is a high enough dose since mine were on medicated last year when I had the same improvement after treatment.

 

[kyexotics]

We deal with 100+babies a month and we're not pros, but this is our process...Once born, first 2-3 days, water only(and food of course)...After that we go to an electrolytes/vitamin mixture for 2-3 weeks, 90% will be sold by then, but for the ones not, and ours, we go 2-3wks, then back to plain water...ANYTIME there is a 'reddish' poop, we use Amprolium in it's preventative amount and hope we catch it, if not, we move to the treatment amount...We find you really need to pay attention to poop, it tells you what they can't but want to so you'll help them feel better! We currently have a coop we found some concerning poop in yesterday and moved that coop and all that surround it(we have 18 coops all scattered about) into preventative 'mode', which is where all the waterers are switched to amprolium to ensure they all get it...Tonight already, we only saw one pinkish poop among 40+ so we hope we nipped it, the amprolium works very fast, within a day or so you should see the poop change, but it's like penicillin, it has to be used over a period of time for it's maximum benefit...This also allows any infected poop to be gone before treatment is over to help ensure no flare ups...The problem with this and something you have to be aware of is once you see it in one coop, more than likely, YOU have been in all of them and could have tracked their poop in with you so we may need to treat entire flock, we're always here so we will be vigilant for the next week or so and not sell any babies or move anyone until problem is gone for sure....That's how we are, hope it helps someone, it works for us...Nothing worse than losing babies...

Another tip we've found to work is about 2 cap fulls of vinegar in a gallon of water keeps the algae from forming, seems to be a worse problem in heat so try it, it works for us!!

 

[SemperChicken]

So yesterday was a pretty emotional day and even though it really broke my heart, I'm wondering if I over reacted because of what a majority say that sometimes chicks just can't make it and that's just how it goes. They are both buried near the flower bed with a stake marking the spot.

The other 8 are doing well and we have them set up in their "brooder" that we made out of our leftover wood. They absolutely loved the first moments being able to zoom around full speed cause of the extra space.

Thanks everyone for the replies and just helping me understand how things go, what to do as far as preventative, and to not worry about it so much.

This was a picture I took the day we got em. Wondering if both girls were exhibiting signs since day 1 and I just didn't know.

Rest in peace, little girls.

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry! You can have fecals checked at the vet's for coccidia. It's best to feed the amprolium medicated feed to chicks, to prevent deaths from coccidia; once they are ill, they would need the higher dose treating with Corid. Some chicks are just not meant to live, for many different reasons, and it's very sad. I've had Favorelles from MurrayMcMurray hatchery, and they did great. The breed trend to be very gentle, and be at the bottom of the pecking order in mixed flocks. Very sweet birds, and beautiful. I feed chick starter and give them plain water, and an electrolyte mix for a few days only to recover from shipping stress. Keep things simple, don't overcomplicate and overmedicate either. Mary