What is wrong with my chicken? Lethargic, eyes closed...

[Lochloosachicks]

My coop has been chaos lately. Most of my girls are better, but my light brahma that is about 5-6 months old is not improving and her symptoms are not quite the same.

My rooster and an aracauna were pretty sick with what seemed to be a respiratory sickness by the wheezing and gurgling I heard. They were lethargic and we even found the rooster laying in the bushes after night(when they usually go back to the coop by themselves) with a pale comb and waddle. I started giving him SMZ(leftover from when some babies had a respiratory illness), yogurt, apples, spinach and fresh herbs. He was still able to eat and starting improving immediately. I never gave meds to to arcane or others bc they seemed to be improving on their own. I only gave the rooster 3 doses and stopped. He is doing great and is even trying to crow today.
I should mention none of my chickens are laying right now. I only had 2 speckled sussex that had started, they seem fine but no eggs at all for over a week. I have 8 chickens of laying age out of the 26 I have. One of my sussex that should be laying has been sleeping in the nesting boxes for a couple of days now, but acts healthy otherwise.

My brahma (Sweet Pea) started the lethargic business and I started with the electrolytes/vitamins, herbs, etc. She won't eat. She doesn't sound wheezing and isn't gasping. I found her sleeping out of the coop two nights this week and had to bring her myself. I've been giving her SMZ for 3 days and she's still here but not improving. I'm wondering if I should give her something else or if being to weak to eat is keeping her from improving. I started syringe feeding her water and yogurt(2-3 cc's). Yesterday, she would mildly peck at scratch but keeps her eyes closed. Crop and poop seems fine, she is skin and bones though.

Please advise. I try to treat naturally when possible, but I think we are beyond that at this point. Quarantining seems irrelevant at this stage as well. I'm pretty sure everyone has either had it or been exposed and pulled through. Thank you and sorry for the novel!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi. Sorry you are having trouble.

Is cocci a possibility? Often indicated by standing up sleeping. Only 1 out of the 9 strains shows as blood in poo. How has your weather been? Other parasites.. worms, mites, lice?

Avoid the spinach and apples type stuff. Though they seem nice they are very low in actual nutrients. Skip the scratch completely.

Go with high protein/nutrient things like scrambled egg, tuna, meal worms. Eggs are high in nutrient and micronutrients as well as easy to digest. The amino acids in the animal based protein is the important part.

Being to weak to eat might keep her from improving. But she won't die from starvation, just get a little light. Dehydration however is deadly. I would specifically push fluids.

How does the poo look? What is SMZ?

 

[Lochloosachicks]

SMZ is a sulfide type antibiotic I think. It was prescribed by a vet for other chicks with a respiratory illness.

I don't think mites, lice or lice. Poo is almost non existent bc of the not eating/drinking. I don't see anything abnormal though. My other chickens had the bright green last week but all improved now.

I can't get her to take anything on her own. How should I push fluids and how much?

Weather has been hot and wet! It's improving though and getting nicer now. I think that's what the problem was intially. We had several rainy 100 degree+ days.

 

[Lochloosachicks]

Hi. Sorry you are having trouble.

Is cocci a possibility? Often indicated by standing up sleeping. Only 1 out of the 9 strains shows as blood in poo. How has your weather been? Other parasites.. worms, mites, lice?

Avoid the spinach and apples type stuff. Though they seem nice they are very low in actual nutrients. Skip the scratch completely.

Go with high protein/nutrient things like scrambled egg, tuna, meal worms. Eggs are high in nutrient and micronutrients as well as easy to digest. The amino acids in the animal based protein is the important part.

Being to weak to eat might keep her from improving. But she won't die from starvation, just get a little light. Dehydration however is deadly. I would specifically push fluids.

How does the poo look? What is SMZ?

Another question... Do you think I should start CORID? I was worried it would dehydrate her more, but she is not looking good.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I might start the Corid. Your weather sounds perfect to support cocci.

Corid works by acting as a thiamine blocker to starve out cocci. It does not kill them. It should not dehydrate her more. I might want to add electrolytes. Simple recipe is... 2 cups warm water, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and baking soda. stir to dissolve and serve full strength. And I would put my Corid in it, though I don't know if it truly appropriate to do so or not. I just know don't supplement vitamins when treating with it.

Only thing I have done is drips on top of the beak just below the nostrils and they usually gobble when it runs into their mouths. There are some threads on here with tube feeding videos. And I know some people by syringes to push fluids subcutaneously.

That kinda weather itself sounds like enough to make anybody lethargic!