I incubated and hatched out a bunch of chicks 5 weeks ago. All doing well, they are eating and drinking and are all spunky....2 weeks ago I saw a few tiny spots of red. Could not find anything... Then forgot about it...yesterday I saw loose poop that was liver color I suspect it had blood in it but no other signs. Tonight my last check on them, I see larger areas with bright red blood on the wood chips. And a normal shape poop but bloody looking. I find the chick who looks to be the one, reddish coloring in and around vent. I put a ring on leg so I can keep an eye...looks spunky eating and drinking.
Can lack of water cause this? I have a Gatorade dripper and this last week I started putting in a milk jug with water to try and keep up with the demand. They make such a mess with the dripper. I keep them in a 36x36 card board box....they have wide wood shavings. I noticed 2 weeks ago tiny black bugs I don't know what they were and I don't know where they came from I had never seen them before. But the chicks seem to enjoy the challenge and ate them and I don't see to many now. They are eating med. chick from purina. They get very little other stuff. I threw in some baby spinach leaves the other day but less then one leaf per chick. I have never had this problem...and the NPIP girls were out at another location last week and I am pretty sure the ship out tests were good too.
Any thoughts?
Can lack of water cause this? I have a Gatorade dripper and this last week I started putting in a milk jug with water to try and keep up with the demand. They make such a mess with the dripper. I keep them in a 36x36 card board box....they have wide wood shavings. I noticed 2 weeks ago tiny black bugs I don't know what they were and I don't know where they came from I had never seen them before. But the chicks seem to enjoy the challenge and ate them and I don't see to many now. They are eating med. chick from purina. They get very little other stuff. I threw in some baby spinach leaves the other day but less then one leaf per chick. I have never had this problem...and the NPIP girls were out at another location last week and I am pretty sure the ship out tests were good too.
Any thoughts?