Sick chick - dead 6hrs. later...

One of my lav. orps. was lethargic this morning, not standing (not bearing weight), generally sick - laboured breathing and would shiver every now and again. Took her to work with me and some friends came to look at her and we gave her some "sodium sufamethazine solution 12.5%) she took a few drops but would not eat. She stayed the same until about 5pm and became a bit worse - then in a split second struggled and died ...all the other chicks are still fine except for being very noisy tonight!! The chicks have never been outside, they are still in the brooder in the house - nothing is different except for a new waterer & pine shaving bedding. They are on medicated feed and they get "treats" every so often (oats, yogurt & hard boiled egg). The chicks have been very heatlthy and robust and growing well. I'm at a loss as to what it could have been and I'm nervous about all of them getting sick - any ideas greatly appreciated!

Sorry about your chick. How old was it? If the others seem fine and it was pretty young it may have been a one-off. We have had them do that, die at 3-4 days if the hatch was long and late (low temps). If she is in the order of weeks old it could be cocci, but generally it occurs if adults have been (pooped) in that area or if you handle the adults then chicks. If they have kicked water over on shavings or if the brooder is hot and damp. They don't always have bloody poops the first strain we had 2-3 years ago did (around 3-6 week old), and the second strain we got here last year were just slightly frothy poops and lots weak and dropping dead. This started at 1 week and lasted about 4weeks even with Sulmet.

Check the poops and wieght of your other babies. With cocci they will feel light and you will feel the keel bone like a razor.

Sometimes you will figure it out, sometimes it is a one off and a mystery. Hope the rest are OK.

Thanks Skeffling, she was 1 month old, large, healthy and heavy (not fat) just a BIG orpington. I have too many variables in the brooder to be sure about weight...there are only 2 lavender's left and one is my peewee (little man) he had a rough start and is half the size of the others. The other chicks are EE's and are all about the same size. Poops seem good although I did notice last week there were some dark, runny ones - from who...I have no idea, they poop so quick it's hard to tell! I thought they had to come in contact with cocc. to get it or can they "just" get it??

It could still be cocci, the age is right. We lost some lavorps to it last year and Wheaten Marans. If there have been a large number of chicks in the area or poop or something off your clothes maybe. We had it show up (2 kinds) in out new brooder room 2 years ago and last year and we had never had adults in there. It could be in the shavings, any wet porous wood you can't disinfect 100%. Cocci is species specific usually I think. Often by the time you see the bloody poops it's too late for that bird, but it may be an idea to treat the rest with sulmet in their water.