week old chicks dying one by one

[mandarin1]

Thank you, that's good to know, I will do that.

 

[mandarin1]

Thank you all so much, I will look into getting them a direct treatment instead of just feed. The warmest spot in the brooder is 92 and the coolest is 87.

 

[mandarin1]

After doing a lot of reading I saw a lot about gape worm and possible dust from litter causing problems, could this be gape worm on such young birds? They have not been exposed to any other birds, just incubated and right into the brooder. As for litter I'm using pine shavings, should I switch to something else? I know shredded newspaper can be dusty too, any other suggestions to help in addition to getting them medication like sulmet to try and prevent more from dying?

 

[carldaugh]

May I ask... what is their water in? This may not be an illness, it may be drowning. Make sure the water container is not too big for your chicks. If they can place their entire head in the water, it is too big/deep and they may be drowning. The "gasping motion" may be them trying to get air in, and/or water out of their lungs. Sounds silly, that a chick can drown in it drinking water, but it happens.

 

[3riverschick]

They act normal as far as I know, I haven't been able to see one when it actually dies, I just find them shortly after when checking on them. They have all been eating and drinking normally, normal poo, nothing out of the ordinary, that's why this is so confusing. I've put electrolytes in their water as well, but I wouldn't think this would have any ill effect. I put the electrolytes in after the first one died and haven't seen any difference in behavior. I'm completely at a loss here on what to do. Maybe switch to medicated food? They don't have any blood in their stool, so I don't think it's coccidiosis.

Ok, maybe take the electrolytes out of their water. I read one time of a raiser who got it too much electrolytes in the water and the chicks died from too much electrolytes. Like salt poisoning.
Do you have hardwood shavings or softwood shavings? It should be the white bale from Tractor Supply, not the yellow bale. The shavings should smell like fresh dry wood, not any turpentine smell like the yellow bale gives off. Also what about your bulb? Is it Teflon coated? Those coated bulbs give off carbon monoxide which kills chickens of any age.
Put some Bovidr labs Poultry Nutri-Drench in their water instead. A top nutritional supplement, it does not need to be digested. Mainlines directly into the bloodstream. Measurable in 30 minutes. Never lost a chick when raised on the Drench. Make the water so it looks like very weak tea. This sounds environmental. http://www.nutridrench.com http://www.nutridrench.com/nutrition-for.html#transport Get the smallest bottle at Tractor Supply or your feed store. Enough for al your brooding needs.
Best,
Karen

 

[junebuggena]

Thank you all so much, I will look into getting them a direct treatment instead of just feed. The warmest spot in the brooder is 92 and the coolest is 87.

Too warm. They only need warmth in one spot. The rest of the brooder needs to be at least 15 to 20 degrees cooler. Otherwise they can not get away from the heat to properly cool themselves off. It is much easier to kill them with too much heat than it is to loose them to being a tad bit too cool. If they get too cool, they can always huddle for warmth. If the brooder is too warm, there is nothing they can do but overheat.

 

[mandarin1]

They have a plastic waterer from the feed store, it's white plastic with a red bottom that screws on and I have marbles in the bottom, so I don't think it's an issue of drowning. The heat lamp is just a clear one, not the red light. I moved my heat lamp up to see if this helps and they are starting to huddle underneath the lamp. The shavings are large pine shavings and they smell like fresh wood, I got them at my local rural king and this is what they also have in their brooders. I will try the nutri-drench and get rid of the electrolytes, but should I still treat for cocci with the sulmet or will the nutri-drench and the sulmet be too much?

 

[junebuggena]

They have a plastic waterer from the feed store, it's white plastic with a red bottom that screws on and I have marbles in the bottom, so I don't think it's an issue of drowning. The heat lamp is just a clear one, not the red light. I moved my heat lamp up to see if this helps and they are starting to huddle underneath the lamp. The shavings are large pine shavings and they smell like fresh wood, I got them at my local rural king and this is what they also have in their brooders. I will try the nutri-drench and get rid of the electrolytes, but should I still treat for cocci with the sulmet or will the nutri-drench and the sulmet be too much?

If the brooder isn't large enough, raising the heat lamp may not help.
You may want to check this alternative to brooding with heat lamps.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

 

[mandarin1]

Thank you for the link, I will definitely look into it.

 

[mandarin1]

Ive been watching them and I noticed one pecking at some tiny slivers of pine shavings, could this be what is causing this and why the one chick is gasping for air because maybe it's got pine shavings stuck? They are large shavings and I haven't ever had this problem before, but I'm looking for all possibilities.