Hello! My silkie went broody and sat on 5 eggs out in my coop a few weeks ago (They are a cross between the silkie mom, and the modern game/old english cross dad) . About a week out from the hatch date I found her eating one of the unhatched chicks! I took the remaining 4 eggs and moved them into an incubator because I was scared that she would hurt the others. 2 of the eggs died at some point, I guess from the trama of being moved. The remaining 2 eggs, however, hatched sucsesfuly. After they were drie I moved them into a small brooder and relized that one of the chick's legs was broken at the hip causing it's leg to stick out backwards behind it. It had a poor quality of life as it was unable to move, eat, or drink, so I unforunatly had to cull it.
So that left the one. Until yesterday afternoon it was the image of a healthy chick. But then it started sneezing. It sneezed probably every 5-10 minutes or so. This morning it started breathing exclusively out of it's mouth. It's eyes are alert and clear, it peeps so loud that it wakes me up from across the house at night, and it is still the most playful and active chick that I have ever seen.
I think that it is a resporitory infection of some kind, but I have only treated that on large hens before. Can I give the chick antibiotics?
Thank you SO much for your help!
-G
So that left the one. Until yesterday afternoon it was the image of a healthy chick. But then it started sneezing. It sneezed probably every 5-10 minutes or so. This morning it started breathing exclusively out of it's mouth. It's eyes are alert and clear, it peeps so loud that it wakes me up from across the house at night, and it is still the most playful and active chick that I have ever seen.
I think that it is a resporitory infection of some kind, but I have only treated that on large hens before. Can I give the chick antibiotics?
Thank you SO much for your help!
-G
