Help Please

[vbdeleon]

Our little chicks, about 6 weeks old are getting weak, flipping on their backs, difficulty walking, and a couple have died. They are eating and drinking okay because we check on them multiple times a day to right those who are on their backs and move them close to the food and water. We are trying to figure out what is wrong so we can help them get better. Any ideas or suggestions?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Need more information. Food, water, brooder setup.
Chicks start out either robust or fail to thrive. A lot of things have a bearing on that.
Getting them clean food and water with a warm space and a cool space is usually enough for robust chicks to fare well.
I start all chicks with a bit of vitamins and probiotic powder in their water. Feed spread on paper towels till they know what food is when I switch to shavings and feeders. If they struggle hatching or are shipped, I add a little agave nectar to the water for energy.
I don't make the whole brooder hot. Just like a mother hen, they have a warm spot and plenty of cool space where the food and water are located.

ETA
At 6 weeks they don't need any heat and should be outside.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Answers?

Food, water, brooder setup, temperature, space?
Without knowing those things, it's a crapshoot.

 

[vbdeleon]

Thank you, they have clean water with vitamins and probiotic powder. They are eating chick starter and are all eating well. They are outside with the mommies with plenty of warm and cool spaces--our weather has been a little odd this time of year so we do plug in the heat lamp at night and if it is dipping before 55 at night. The coup has a closed hutch with shavings and and the outside is a large dirt yard--they have access to both food and water in the hutch and in the yard. The ones that are having difficulty walking rarely come out of the hutch. I do take them out a couple of times for a little while when it is sunny to allow them to bask, but do not leave them out because I am afraid they will not be able to get to the water or shade. They all started out great, very healthy, but within the past week they are all getting weak. Their poop looks normal, breathing is normal--it is just they seem like their little legs are not wanting to support them. The worst ones try to use their wings to help prop themselves up. Any ideas?

 

[vbdeleon]

Our outside temp has fluctuated over the past couple of weeks between 53-80 during the days and 40-60 at night, which is why we have kept the heat lamp going when cooler. The mommies have never wanted much to do with them. They are from our chickens but we hatched them in the incubator.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They don't need heat now. The thing that comes to mind is Marek's disease.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq