I am a new new newbie to chickens! We just purchased two silkies not sure of age except they are half the size of our 6 month old chicks. (our chicks are spoiled pets with their own large yard and chick condo)
It was a mercy purchase as they both were very thin and pale. One started sneezing and producing foul light tan mucous from it's nose on the way home. It was so thin that you could feel all of it's bones and it's gullet was not palpable. The other chick seems younger and has a little substance but not much. They are both eating and drinking very well. I put them on rescue supplement water and added crushed vitamin c to their medicated chick meal. I started cleaning the sick chick's bill and nose right away and several times a day.
It has been 3 days now and the sick chick seems to be improving and has gained considerable weight. The congestion is much less but it still "gurgles" a little with activity. It is very active. The other chick has no symptoms however they came from the same place. I have kept them separated from the flock of course. I hope that it is just a common bacterial infection that only affects poorly immune and starved animals.
My husband used to raise chickens and he told me that the chick would have died within 24 to 48 hours of starvation. It obviously was not getting food because it eats everything we feed it.
I am not familiar with what antibiotics can be used for chickens or if I should just keep doing what we are currently doing with the vitamin c and medicated feed.
We thought about separating the two chicks from each other but they are very young still and definitely need company to be healthy.
all advice and help is appreciated.
It was a mercy purchase as they both were very thin and pale. One started sneezing and producing foul light tan mucous from it's nose on the way home. It was so thin that you could feel all of it's bones and it's gullet was not palpable. The other chick seems younger and has a little substance but not much. They are both eating and drinking very well. I put them on rescue supplement water and added crushed vitamin c to their medicated chick meal. I started cleaning the sick chick's bill and nose right away and several times a day.
It has been 3 days now and the sick chick seems to be improving and has gained considerable weight. The congestion is much less but it still "gurgles" a little with activity. It is very active. The other chick has no symptoms however they came from the same place. I have kept them separated from the flock of course. I hope that it is just a common bacterial infection that only affects poorly immune and starved animals.
My husband used to raise chickens and he told me that the chick would have died within 24 to 48 hours of starvation. It obviously was not getting food because it eats everything we feed it.
I am not familiar with what antibiotics can be used for chickens or if I should just keep doing what we are currently doing with the vitamin c and medicated feed.
We thought about separating the two chicks from each other but they are very young still and definitely need company to be healthy.
all advice and help is appreciated.
