Help - v poorly 7 week old chick

[jessmorris]

hello,
I have a poorly chick . She's a mille fleur bantam, 7 weeks old so well feathered. She's sitting hunched up, her wings and tail pointing to the ground, with all her feathers on end and breathing hard. She keeps snuggling up to her siblings (for warmth?). Her siblings are fine. They are in a big house and have a run about 5 feet by 5 feet based with wood chips. Its half covered with plastic, so part dry. She isn't eating much or drinking much and just sits with her eyes closed. She's only been like this yesterday but has always been the last out of the house, to feed etc. She was off colour last week (slow and a bit hunched looking) so I wormed them all with Flubenvet and gave them all vits (poultry spice). When I looked at her then she was a bit thin, no obstruction in her crop, can't see what her droppings are like. I put the mother out with the rest of the flock yesterday as she was gagging to go and had started laying and perching again.
I'll try and bring her indoors tonight for some warmth.
Any ideas ?

[Suechooks]

The only suggestion I can make is Coccidiosis? Or maybe she's just a weakling - the runt maybe? Have you fed medicated feed? I'd take mine to the vet but I know this isn't everyones policy. Maybe a night in the warm and some TLC will turn her round for you.

[Glutton4...]

Fingers crossed for you. No knowledge or experience of baby Chooks here, but best wishes, and hope your TLC works.

[jessmorris]

Thanks for that. She's been on the medicated chick crumbs against Coccidiosis but has just gone onto unmedicated growers pellets so maybe thats it. I'll get her in the warm for a couple of days....unfortunately my vets don't know anything about poultry and the nearest good poultry vet is in York! (I'm in Lancaster). If I had a knowledegeble vet I'd take her but don't see the point if they won't have a clue!

[Suechooks]

..... If I had a knowledegeble vet I'd take her but don't see the point if they won't have a clue!

Jess The only thing is they can prescribe things like antibiotics etc for them. My vets practice has got one person with an interest who is beginning to go on courses and researching chook treatment so bowing to client demand which seems the sensible way forward!
You can buy Coxoid for putting in the water if they're not on medicated growers. I bought some online "just in case".It was only about £6 - you might be able to get it from a pigeon food place.

[RichmondHens]

Unless you have definitely seen her pass runny poo with blood in it, I would not automatically assume she has coccidiosis. Chances are if you have cocci in the flock then more than one bird would be affected. Birds will stand in the way you describe when they feel ill, whatever is causing it. If she looks like she is having trouble breathing she may have a respiratory infection. You would need a vet to diagnose properly, but as she is only 7 weeks old, and sounds like she is a "slow" one, then it doesn't look good, sorry.

[its hilly]

Try bringing her in to the warm, its gone really cold here so guessing will have with you too, and it may be the shock of cold nights and no warm mum. Put her back on the crumb to be safe, or add some Coxoid to the water. The others too to be cautious. Dont think that will do any harm even if its not cocci. If shes skinny try adding hard boiled egg yolk to her food, or something like mealworms to give her something extra.
You could try ringing round the Barrow vets, and asking if they have a chicken vet. One (possibly church walk but dont hold me to that) has a part-time lady vet who keeps chooks and is knowledgable about them. If you tell her you have no chooky vet she may be able to tell you of one nearer to you, or as she did with me, discuss on the phone, and have some ideas. Worth a try anyway. Fingers crossed.

[its hilly]

Crossed RH, glad some one with better knowledge than me came along. I hadn't picked up on the heavy breathing.

[jessmorris]

Thanks for everyone who replied. I brought her in and sat her on a hot water bottle on tea towels. She stopped eating and drinking so it was really too late by then. The vet prescribed Baytril which I think is a broad spectrum antibiotic but it didn't help. She died yesterday and I've sent her off for a post mortem (at £10 I thought it worth it - I didn't want to lose anymore). There is a specialist poultry and pigeon vet at Top Cliffe near Thirsk, North Yorkshire at Sandhills Vet Services who will do this and are proper bird vets. Wish they were nearer! The other three birds are absolutely fine so I do wonder what was up with her.

[Nicos]

Oh dear- not good news- it's not your week is it??

I'd be interested to hear the PM results though- that's a very young age to pop her cloggs

[Suechooks]

Oh dear sorry to hear that.

[jessmorris]

Well the vet rang back today with the results of the post mortem and she had waterbelly, where fluid builds up in the abdomen. She had a congenital heart defect (her heart was too small) and as she grew the heart couldn't cope and packed up. There was nothing I did that killed her and nothing I could have done to save her. So thats a relief, though sad, she was a pretty little thing, but always slow.

He said to keep an eye on the others in case they have the same complaint, and not to breed from this clutch of eggs. And, I guess, let my ebay egg supplier know that his pooters have this thing .

[Nicos]

Yikes..so that is from interbreeding then??

I have always worried about that- over here they don't seem too bothered about 'quality'...but maybe I'm mixing with the wrong peeps??

One of my Marans has a very twisted beak and we are50:50 about culling her- she's 9 weeks old.
Darn- it's frustrating- cos the beak thing is mostly genetic

I'm glad you found out about the waterbelly- I'm, off to Google it!

[jessmorris]

I don't know if its from breeding too closely, I think he means the chick is born with it, rather than its a disease from a bacteria, or poor food or something..............He gave it the proper name which I couldn't hear on the answer phone. My chicken book says its a disease of older hens but I guess a poultry vet should know best......................?

[jessmorris]

I've googled it! fast growing birds are susceptible and its common in the broiler industry. It can be caused by cool brooding temperatures, food too high in protein, dusty litter, too much salt in food or water (including chlorine) and stress , with the first two being the most important factors.
Well it was cold when she hatched in the beginning of April and she's only been on chick crumbs and growers pellets.......