# Two Sick Chicks



## pblanton (Mar 30, 2015)

I have a dozen 4 week-old chicks. The other day, one of them developed a weird condition where she couldn't hold up her head. She is still eating and drinking, but sometimes she drops her head all the way to the floor, and tries to run backward until she flops over and flops around a bit until she regains her balance.

I held her for a bit and held her head up, and then she appeared to be fine.

The next day another one developed the same condition. I have separated the two from the rest and they are still alive, and still seem to have an appetite and are drinking normally, but it is like watching the Linda Blair of chickens. 

Here is a video of the two, acting weird.

http://www.screencast.com/t/CzLDiiOpm

Any ideas what could be the issue?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It looks neuro. Are they on medicated feed? Are you also giving them anti cocci meds? Medications to prevent an over load of cocci block the ability to absorb Thiamine (B1). Even though this is not the normal presentation for Thiamine deficiency I would try dosing with either B1 or B complex vitamins. 

On the simpler side, are there any feathers hanging in front of their eyes? Sometimes something so simple can cause them to try to escape what they're seeing.


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## pblanton (Mar 30, 2015)

They are not on any medicated feed. When they were new, we gave them water with a little electrolytes, and then we used Apple Cider vinegar in their water, then switched to molasses water for a while.

They are back on electrolyte water right now.

Otherwise no other medications, or feathers in their eyes.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Can you give a better time line on when you did the other water additives.

Why the molasses? That is typically used as a laxative. At what point did this behavior begin?

They really don't need to be on electrolytes at this point. Especially since there is no indication that they are warranted. Using electrolytes can be as deadly as not using them when needed.


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## pblanton (Mar 30, 2015)

I used molasses water when the chicks were 2-3 weeks old was told it would help with pasty butt. I read that using electrolyte water was good to use in times of stress.
The behavior began about 2 days ago with one chick and last night I had another chick develop the same behavior.
I'll take the electrolyte water away. Thanks


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It is when the stress is big, like excessive heat, shipping or transporting or having a serious injury. These guys are still eating and drinking so they are getting what they need. 

Pasty butt is usually due to stress or getting too chilled. 90% of the time, fixing either of those things fixes the problem. 

What you might want to think about is giving each a drop of Polyvisol in a few days. They might not be absorbing vitamins properly. If you know your feed is fresh and stored properly, they're not getting treats then that would usually be the first go to for peeps so young.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Use the polyvisol with NO iron . Sounds like they have the beginning of wry neck. Robin gave excellent advise


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## pblanton (Mar 30, 2015)

Thanks MaryEllen.

We still have the two separated from the rest. We have been giving them polyvisol every day for three days and I think they are doing better. I'm not sure which polyvisol we bought, but out well water straight out of the ground is slam full of iron. We use an iron filter and water softener on it for the house and that's what the chickens are on now, but when they finally go out to the coop, they'll be on unfiltered well water, which is iron rich all by itself.

Should we hand-carry drinking water out to them?


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

It should be with no iron check the bottle. I have a waterer inmy hens area and i keep it filled all the time as they need access to water 24/7.
If your well water is that bad use spring water from the store. If you have a water conditioner system on your water that shoukd be fine( i have well water too)


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I fill up gallon water jugs and bring it out to pen area to fill water cans as our hose isnt out yet due to winter just over now once it warms up i will hook up hose again and fill their container that way


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

In checking studies most say the excess iron does not appear to be a problem for poultry flocks. 

I sort of did the same thing as Maryellen, I had a laundry tub in my coop that I ran water to via a garden hose and filled and cleaned my waterers that way.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I've been thinking about this all day. A few years ago I read a paper about excess iron in the water and health impacts. If I remember correctly the paper stated that the iron in drinking water is a different composition and that our bodies will not absorb that kind of iron. Of course we're talking chickens but its the same premise, its not the correct molecular construction to utilized by living beings.


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## pblanton (Mar 30, 2015)

The "possessed" chickens have cleared up. We separated them and gave them polyvisol for about a week. The first three days or so it looked like nothing was helping, but they didn't get any worse. On about day four, they weren't dropping their heads to the floor and running backward until they flipped over and flopped around. They weren't looking up yet, but weren't channeling Linda Blair any longer.

On about day six they had healed enough so that they could look up enough to see that there wasn't a screen over their enclosure, and they flew up and got out into the basement. By that time though, the multiple times per day handling had tamed them to the point where we could just walk over to them and pick them up.

The next day they were re-integrated with the rest of the flock, though they still looked more mopey than the rest.

Today they are perfectly fine. You can't tell them apart from the rest. 

Thanks for helping us this forum has been a blessing..


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That's great news. Its possible that the two are the lowest in the hierarchy and the others were keeping them from getting enough to eat.


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## pblanton (Mar 30, 2015)

Update: It's been well over a year and they are still alive and kicking. Laying eggs, clicking and scratching. I don't know which two the sick ones were, but they made a full recovery.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Hey, thanks for the update. It's good to know that they're doing great. It's always one thing or another that we all look out for. Looks like you look out for "odd" behavior as well.


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