02/19/2023
It's almost that time, chicks, ducklings, turkeys, etc will be available in stores. Which means we will soon be getting contacted ny a few of them that have bern utilizing our rescue for the past 2 seasons. These stores often get chicks that have already become sick or injured. These are the things we see most commonly and their
1. Coccidia, 50 stressed chicks per pack of electrolytes for sustenance will eat each others p**ps, needs immediate treatment and a follow up course after 10 days.
2. Travel conditions, extreme temps, not being secured so they got tossed around causing injuries, people not popping out the air holes or the post office taping over them all (most of these are doa 😤😡)
3. Pasty butt complications, it is not just unsanitary. This can be from staff that is either inattentive or understaffed but also if the chick is stressed from travel they can have the issue every time the p**p and they can't keep up. They are also alone overnight for 10-12 hours.
4. Injuries because sometimes chicks trample and whatnot
5. Ducks, we mostly get complications because of water supply issues. They don't have any or not enough to submerge their bill to the nostrils.
If you see sick or injured birds at stores bring it to someone's attention. If they are willing to have us come get any that are really bad off, that they just plan to put in back and cross their fingers, to treat them at our rescue we will (they write them off as losses).
Also, the one thing that agitates us most is the very preventable issues:
SO... If you see several severe pasty butts please ask them to take a minute to get a warm wet cloth and properly remove the pasty, the bird will die if bad ones are left, it plugs them up.
Explain it would be like leaving an infant in a dirty diaper the whole day... complications galore. The umbilical spot on a chick is also not far below the vent, so its also like crapping on a healing belly button and leaving it there.
They can't just yank it off either, they need to use warm water and gently soak it off with a cloth, they can rip the chicks vent if they just yank it.
And tell them if the ducks are out of water and make sure someone comes to fill it.
