young chick wheezing/chattering mildly lethargic

[kimb]

I have a 3 week old chick that I heard doing a little coo/chatter the other day once I put them away for the night (goes in a special "hut" with it's mom and 2 other chicks) ... I thought it was a respiratory irritation so I've put a little VetRx on her beak and chest the past couple of nights - but it doesn't seem to be helping... now she's mildly lethargic and not really eating much.

Is there anything else I can do?

I'll give it some yogurt and eggs tomorrow for breakfast...

 

[seminolewind]

I would treat for coccidiosis right away. Unless you're sure it's a respiratory problem.

 

[kimb]

I'm not certain of what the little one's problem is - assumed it was respiratory but I'm also wondering if maybe she got run over or stepped on by one of the other chickens (or ducks) and cracked a rib...

I'm looking up coccidiosis - but so far the only "tell tale sign" seems to be bloody droppings and I haven't found any in their "hut" ... but I guess it could be possible...

Can I use Sulmet for treatment? (I think my grain store carries this and I should be able to pick it up tomorrow). Or I could make a trip to Tractor Supply if there's something better ?

 

[seminolewind]

Only one type of coccidiosis has bloody stools and I've also found that when I had the one with the bloody stool, I noticed one, not all of them were bloody. I don't know if your chicken has cocci., but it's something to consider. Or maybe even an aspiration. Tylan is good for respiratory.

 

[kimb]

Thanks for the replies... I choose to cull her - I gave her Sulmet last night and this morning - but this afternoon when I got home from work - it was clear it was a respiratory issue (having difficult breathing, sneezing and bubbles in her eyes)...

very saddening , she was very sweet and so appreciative of just being "cuddled" ... it was only a matter of a day or 2 before she would be no longer with us and now she's in chick heaven and not struggling to breath.

Just another instance where I should've known better than to add outside chickens to the flock. I had acquired 2 baby chicks from a local person after my hen only hatched one egg and I felt bad for the singelton... This morning - the one that she hatched, I found dead, she hadn't showed any signs of being sick, but she was the most heavily feathered and hid that she was not eating well and since the other little one was so noticeably wheezing I should've known to check the others - but I didn't think...

Now I'm down to the other "added" chick ... who appears very healthy - hopefully she's not a carrier of whatever they had - if she shows any signs of being sick, I'll probably have to cull her too... :-/