# Sick Wyandotte and underweight birds?



## ljvoll (Jun 19, 2013)

Hi! 
I have 6 chicks that are coming up to 9 weeks old. I've just started them on pellets and they seem to be feeding ok, but I have noticed they are on the skinny side. One especially (Gertie, the Silver laced Wyandotte) is very small, but they all have sharp breast bones. They also have head lice (contracted from 2 extra birds I bought to add to the flock) which I'm treating with poultry dust. I'll post pictures of Gertie. My question is do you think she's sick? If so does anyone have any suggestions as to how to help her along a bit?
All suggestions welcome thanks so much!


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## ljvoll (Jun 19, 2013)

Here are the pics


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## ljvoll (Jun 19, 2013)

You can see that Kylie the Ameracuna is way bigger than Gertie and I hope you can see the breastbone in the pic of her stomach. Any thoughts my poultry peeps?


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## JC17 (Apr 4, 2013)

What are you feeding them?


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## clintdaniels83 (May 23, 2013)

Very underweight, is there any blood in stool, lathargic, or staying fluffed up


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## ljvoll (Jun 19, 2013)

Thanks for the responses. No blood in the stool at all and she seems perky enough (though I know she looks pretty poorly in the photo. I had just used the flea comb and some coconut oil to aid in lice removal, so she was less than pleased.) Feeding them all the same stuff, Modesto milling organic pellets. Though now I look I'm not sure if I have the layer pellets or the broiler finisher pellets. They also get kitchen scraps and some suet pieces off and on. She does seem to stay more fluffed up than the other gals.


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## JC17 (Apr 4, 2013)

Try feeding a higher protien diet.


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Yes, I think Gertie is very sick~maybe unto death. I don't think upping proteins will help her or the other birds at this point. 

If I had to guess, I'd say they are having absorption/digestion issues caused by an overgrowth of the wrong kind of bacteria in the bowels~possibly cocci~but my guess is based upon the fact that coccidiosis is one of the more common causes for illness and wasting in birds of that age. But that guess is as good as any at this point. 

Depending on your chosen husbandry methods, you have a few options to eliminate or rectify the situation.


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## ljvoll (Jun 19, 2013)

Well I'll try anything. Gimme all you've got!


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Understand, my husbandry relies solely on prevention of illness and not treatment of it, so I can't be of much help to you on this other than to tell you that people with curative husbandry methods usually dose birds with coccidiosis with a drug called Corid. I'm sure you can find this at most feed stores that sell livestock meds/treatments.

If these were my birds I'd have started them out differently and they wouldn't have developed cocci, so I can't really say what I would do at this point but I can describe a "what if" scenario for the sake of giving an alternative to the standard treatment options.

What if these were my birds and they had this going on...I'd kill Gertie right away. No ifs ands or buts. Too weak of an immune system to remain in my flock. The rest would be started on fermented feeds right away and also have mother vinegar placed in their water. They would be out on fresh soil and grass every day if they are not already at this present time.

I'd dust any parasites with pyrethrin(natural ingredient with a powerful punch...not something I normally have to do, but would if I had parasites on the birds at that young of an age) and also the roosts, nest boxes and the top layer of bedding. Then I would start deep litter in the coop if there wasn't already such a thing established.

Then I would be examining how I got an overload of cocci(or any other illness/parasite overload) in my chicks and take measures to keep this from happening ever again. When using prevention, one is constantly analyzing flock health and how to maintain it, so these questioning of husbandry methods and how they can be changed is standard for folks using natural husbandry. Not a comment upon your own husbandry! 

Prevention is loads easier than curing and the birds don't have to weaken or suffer before something is done, so this is why I choose it..it's better for the birds and takes the worry out of chicken husbandry.  I like easy, stress free for me... and also happy birds.

Giving the meds _seems_ much easier, doesn't it? Most folks choose that route and that's okay~ but it just isn't for me.

That's all I got!  Please let us know how it all turns out for Gertie and the Gang? It should be interesting to know what you try, how it turns out, if she survives, what happens....sort of like a chicken soap opera!


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

I would make sure first they are eating and drinking. Maybe get some save a chick probiotic to add to the water, give some yogurt with live culture in it, the plain stuff, not the fruity sugared stuff. Watch them closely. Make sure the feed you have is grower, not layer. If unsure, save that bag for later, and get them on grower.


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## clintdaniels83 (May 23, 2013)

Jim said:


> I would make sure first they are eating and drinking. Maybe get some save a chick probiotic to add to the water, give some yogurt with live culture in it, the plain stuff, not the fruity sugared stuff. Watch them closely. Make sure the feed you have is grower, not layer. If unsure, save that bag for later, and get them on grower.


Yogurt is a good choice. Also a little sugar water will give them a boost and make them feel perky


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## ljvoll (Jun 19, 2013)

Thanks for the help. I've ordered Corid. I have a suspicion that the infection came from two birds I introduced to the other 4. These chicks had already been free-ranging (seemed healthy, I checked vents etc) but probably had the bacteria, whereas mine weren't out of the brooder at that time. Maybe mine were extra susceptible because of this? Anyway, I will do my best for them. I agree prevention is way better than cure. I have 16 month old twins, so am probably not as on top of things as I should be  I will get them onto grower feed, try the yogurt and keep a weather eye on them. I dusted them and the coop last night so that should help with the lice at least.


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

ljvoll said:


> Thanks for the help. I've ordered Corid. I have a suspicion that the infection came from two birds I introduced to the other 4. These chicks had already been free-ranging (seemed healthy, I checked vents etc) but probably had the bacteria, whereas mine weren't out of the brooder at that time. Maybe mine were extra susceptible because of this? Anyway, I will do my best for them. I agree prevention is way better than cure. I have 16 month old twins, so am probably not as on top of things as I should be  I will get them onto grower feed, try the yogurt and keep a weather eye on them. I dusted them and the coop last night so that should help with the lice at least.


Sounds like you are doing what you can. Hopefully for future you will at least quarantine for a week or more. I do this even if I know the flock they came from, never know what someone else could have brought in on their shoes.


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