Precautionary Dosing?

[ScavengerBird]

I just purchased 6 chicks from the local Rural King, none seem to be sickly, all are eating drinking, etc. One, however, has a little bit of runny poop and it's back end seems to be bothering it, it preens very frequently back there, as if it's itchy.... Horror stories have me assuming the worst could be lying in wait.

Would it be alright to dose them with Corid or something similar as a precaution?? I don't want to loose one to either my 'hover parenting' or to disease. I assume they're only a few days old, the one in question still had it's beak tooth up until last night.

 

[PirateGirl]

If you are feeding medicated feed then you are giving a small dose already that should act as preventative for the most part. Once they are exposed to the outdoors, dirt, other chickens they become vulnerable again. Keep an eye on them for sure.

 

[ScavengerBird]

I have them on medicated feed, but was worried medicated feed wouldn't cure anything they might already have been exposed to. ☹

 

[PirateGirl]

You are correct, medicated feed is not a cure for a sick chick, it is a preventative measure. I'm really not sure what they would have been exposed to if they've never been on dirt or outdoors Hopefully others will weigh in and help you figure out if your chick is actually sick and needs any special meds. I'm not one for giving medication unnecessarily.

 

[ScavengerBird]

You've been helpful! So if they weren't on the ground it's unlikely they could have been exposed to coccidiose? I thought it was something in the air, I guess. I didn't realize it was a 'ground' disease.

 

[PirateGirl]

Here is a good read for you.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coccidiosis-how-to-treat-it.64386/

Again, I have no idea how/where your brooder is setup so I don't know how/if they could have potentially been exposed. If your brooder is in your human house and you don't have other chickens and the babies have never been around other chickens and never spent time outdoors scratching in the dirt, the chance that they've been exposed at this point is pretty low.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Put a tiny bit of Vaseline on his bum.

 

[ScavengerBird]

Thank you for the link! They're currently in my spare bedroom, I have one other chicken, an old rooster, who is in the basement currently with a broken wing until his vet appt.

I make sure my wife and I both wash our hands very well before and after handling the babies. I've got them in a rubbermaid with paper towels so I can see their poop is normal, also so it's easier to change out each day. I'm probably just paranoid. I read in the link ACV is beneficial, but didn't see how much to add to a gallon, would you happen to know about that? I wonder if my little pooper just has a nervous gut from so much happening to him already (shipping, handling, etc.)

 

[ScavengerBird]

Thank you! I worry about him getting pasty butt with the occasional diarrhea he's been having. My wife says that so far today though he has had at least one solid poop. We just keep having to wipe his butt after as it sticks to his feathers.

 

[ScavengerBird]

This is how his poop has been looking most of the time.