Sick chick won't open eyes, diarrhoea, lethargy

[Mortiskya]

Glad to hear that the chick is improving. A balanced chick feed will provide vitamins and minerals, but supplementing B vitamins after amprollium/Corid/Coxoid treatment is good. Coccidiosis is the most common illness in chicks this age. If you can find Panacur 10% for goats or horses, that is a safe wormer in the future if worms become a problem. It is given orally 1/4 ml per pound of weight once and again in 10 days for roundworms. If given 5 days in a row, it will treat capillary/threadworms and gapeworms as well. Levamisole is the only wormer available in some countries, and if that has to be used, that is okay.

Unfortunately the chick is starting to regress, I'm thinking your early MG prediction to be correct. This morning it's right eye is the crustiest we have seen it. Other birds are now starting to sneeze quite a bit, one has a tiny amount of mucus from its nostril and a couple have been shaking their heads a little and opening their mouths afterwards.

We have booked in to a vet tonight as we can't get any antibiotics here in Aus without going through a vet. I'm thinking the bird may pull through on its own but I don't think it's worth the risk especially if the rest of the flock are now getting sick too.

I have terramycin on the way for the eyes and hopefully we can sort out the tylosin or similar through the vet. I also believe I heard some pops and crackles when they were all asleep last night.

 

[Eggcessive]

Where did the chicks come from? They can get MG from a carrier or even through a hatching egg from the parent. Most vets can prescribe antibiotics specifically to treat mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG.) Those include the Tylosin, tiamulin (Denagard,) oxytetracycline, doxycycline, and enrofloxacin (Baytril.) MG will stay in a,flock for the remainder of their lives, and they will be carriers. There could be future outbreaks in times of stress, such as molting or very cold weather. Sometimes only one or two birds may get the symptoms, but they are all still carriers. Close your flock for the life of these birds. Here is a good article to read:
https://extension.umd.edu/arec.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/2022-04/FS-1008 Recognizing and Preventing Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

 

[Mortiskya]

Where did the chicks come from? They can get MG from a carrier or even through a hatching egg from the parent. Most vets can prescribe antibiotics specifically to treat mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG.) Those include the Tylosin, tiamulin (Denagard,) oxytetracycline, doxycycline, and enrofloxacin (Baytril.) MG will stay in a,flock for the remainder of their lives, and they will be carriers. There could be future outbreaks in times of stress, such as molting or very cold weather. Sometimes only one or two birds may get the symptoms, but they are all still carriers. Close your flock for the life of these birds. Here is a good article to read:
https://extension.umd.edu/arec.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/2022-04/FS-1008 Recognizing and Preventing Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

Yes that is what I'm hoping for, our normal vet won't see birds so we have to go to an avian vet and the earliest we could get in was this afternoon. The bird doesn't still seem to be in crisis just uncomfortable. Hopefully the vet can give us an accurate diagnosis as to specifically what the bird has.

We have 6 birds, they all came from the same breeder and we aren't allowed more than the 6 due to council rules so provided all survive the flock will be closed to any new birds. Its fighting to live and the other birds are very active despite their symptoms so hopefully it's not too serious.

 

[Lillith37]

I have terramycin on the way for the eyes and hopefully we can sort out the tylosin or similar through the vet. I also believe I heard some pops and crackles when they were all asleep last night.

Out of curiosity where/how did you source the Terramycin in Australia?

 

[Mortiskya]

Out of curiosity where/how did you source the Terramycin in Australia?

I found a seller online through ebay, though after some more research I think it's also supposed to be prescribed.

 

[Mortiskya]

After a very expensive vet trip we unfortunately lost a different bird last night due to failure to thrive. It was the smallest we bought even though it had full wing feathers. It just never grew and I was always concerned but it always seemed very active and loved kicking the bedding around and playing. The vet suspected a congenital disease when we took them but wormed anyways just incase. A respiratory disease on-top of this didn't help but we probably would have lost it regardless. He found no worms or cocci in the float test.

We have been prescribed linco-spectin as a broad spectrum and a swab was taken of the very sick ones throat to see exactly what we're dealing with.

We are very upset as the birds we bought seem to have all come to us with these issues and it's very hard as new chicken owners to process. The breeder was otherwise very respectable and had high reviews. Makes you question what you are doing wrong.

 

[Lillith37]

After a very expensive vet trip we unfortunately lost a different bird last night due to failure to thrive. It was the smallest we bought even though it had full wing feathers. It just never grew and I was always concerned but it always seemed very active and loved kicking the bedding around and playing. The vet suspected a congenital disease when we took them but wormed anyways just incase. A respiratory disease on-top of this didn't help but we probably would have lost it regardless. He found no worms or cocci in the float test.

We have been prescribed linco-spectin as a broad spectrum and a swab was taken of the very sick ones throat to see exactly what we're dealing with.

We are very upset as the birds we bought seem to have all come to us with these issues and it's very hard as new chicken owners to process. The breeder was otherwise very respectable and had high reviews. Makes you question what you are doing wrong.

It doesn’t sound like you’re doing anything wrong… hopefully the throat swab can determine the issue and you can feed that back to the breeder. As mentioned birds can be carriers of illness and it can be passed down so they should know. Seems unlikely that they would have caught anything once with you if they are by themselves in a brooder… especially if the brooder is new.

 

[TannerTrue]

Do not add electrolytes to the Corid. Thiamine in the vitamins is not to be given while on Corid. Corid dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid or 1.5 tsp of the powder per gallon of water. I would treat all chicks at the same time. Iodine should not be used in the eye. Instead make or buy some normal saline or saline. 2 tsp of salt can be dissolved in a quart/liter of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn to low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, and cool it to rom temperature. Terramycin or plain Neosporin ointment can be put into the eye twice a day.
The chick may have been pecked in the eye, or be showing signs of a respiratory disease such as MG. If symptoms worsen when Corid 5 day dosage is complete, you can give some Tylosin in the water. Jedds.com sells it online.

I understand no vitamin B when administering Corid, but why no electrolytes?

Sounds like the chick is on the mend! Can take several days for them to really bounce back after treatment begins. You’re doing all the right things.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I understand no vitamin B when administering Corid, but why no electrolytes?

Corid should be the only thing in the water.

 

[Mortiskya]

Update, we are definitely on the mend. All sneezing has gone now and the really sick one is about 70% of the way there. She had a bit of an impacted crop from gorging once she was getting better but some coconut oil and light massaging and it's been clear for two days now.

Had a follow up call with the vet and the swab cultured two super uncommon and somewhat anti biotic resistant strains of bacteria (not MG or Coryza don't know the names sorry) one is water borne and one fecal borne. Luckily it seems the antibiotic we are using is working just fine. Hopefully we are all good now.