4 dead babies what killed them??UPDATE More babies gone!! HELP

I've been taking care of my neighbors house and critters for almost 2 weeks now, 3 days ago I changed out the chicks bedding to shavings because it was a nightmare of wet hay and all it does here is rain the last week, so I wanted them to be dry and the mold to quit growing in their cage theres about 20 babies aging from 10 to 30 days old in this cage, its a small bird cage and they get fed 2 times a day that's all my neighbor feeds them, its also not baby food its meat bird feed, its a gallon jug bottom about and 1" or a bit more high, I was afraid I killed them by changing the bedding and they were eating it, but their crops were empty?? could they have starved to death? or is it maybe coci, I see no symptoms of that? what could have killed them, any suggestions, I feel terrible but I can olny give them what was told to me to feed them? my chicks get starter filled constantly they are never out of food or water, and mine are also way bigger than these babies, and younger. Help

The bedding needed to be changed. At 10 days they still need the heat lamp, so maybe they were chilled? Especially with the rain. Cocci is also devastating to flock, which could also be the culprit. Medicated feed is very important to help build up the resistance to the disease. If more die, it could possibly be coccidias. I hope your neighbor understands that chicks can pass away easily. I'm sorry this happened to you. It's sometimes hard to figure out the cause.

So sorry about the little ones.

I just read this a second time and your neighbor should have food for them 24/7 and a bigger brooder with a heat lamp. I hope they come back soon. If it were me, I'd sneak them some starter. The chicks don't eat all at once, so maybe the chicks at the bottom rank starved to death. Those poor chicks.

Poor chicks! I would be tempted to give the chicks more food/chick starter also.

Edited to say: Of course you should only do what you feel is right.

I know this is so sad, they do have a heat lamp but I think now maybe they are getting chilled, their cage is next to the north barn door and I think this cold NE wind is blowing behind it, there's too many chicks in there for the 1 heat lamp.
It's strange though that the biggest/Oldest chicks are the ones that are dying? does that indicate anything, there's a baby turkey in there with wry neck, that I thought for sure would be 1 to die first, but that 1 is still doing ok,
1 of the hens that has 8 babies running around, had 1 chick with a broken or dislocated leg, and we found it half dead in front of the duck pen 2 days ago I put that 1 in the garage with the tiniest babies that hatched since she left, and that 1 is also eating and drinking and seems ok, Is there anyway to fix the leg? it's broken right at the joint or dislocated at the hip because it's twisted outwards, I think it maybe got trampled or shook by the bigger birds, her drakes have killed a lot of her babies that way, that are left out with their mama's. I also had 1 drowned in the big water dish yesterday........argggggggggg
This weather is so miserable here the last week we have had over 6 inches of rain, the rivers all flooded over, they have flood warnings out for most of of system close by, her pens are all wet and nasty and the duck pen is terrible, there's about 30 baby ducks in it and the pen is so muddy, I wish I had somewhere else to put them too.
I feel just awful for her babies, but don't know what to do, If I go buy starter for them, they will at least get to eat 1 bag, but once she's home, they will not, she feeds mostly just corn, with a little top dress of meat bird crumbles, I know from this sight that is not the right feed and I know why she has an egg eating problem with her chickens as well, and why her mortality rate with chicks is so high, because even free ranging just corn is not enough protein, and she has probably a 100 birds total, chickens, turkey's, turkey ducks, and Guinness, and gives 1 scoop of meat bird spread between about 6 pens. I told her some of the stuff I have learned here, and well she has changed nothing and responded with I've been raising ducks ect for 25 years, they die easily. She also has 2 peacocks a male she has had a few years, but she's lost 3 females in the last year, they also get just corn.
If these were my babies they would be eating the right feed, but if I intervene with what they should have I'm basically throwing my money away, because once Monday comes the feed will go back to same old corn and meaty feed. I really don't know how she ends up with any new babies, but most do make it, after the first few weeks, the majority of them die before 2 weeks old. They are also small, very small, I think stunted she thinks somehow a banty got mixed in with some of her flock? ?? so I don't know, even her BO are small, and they look like mine just half the size. and mine are only 14 weeks old, I think hers are stunted, Between in breeding and bad feeding habits, they are super small.
Well I'm headed back up there now going to move that cage somewhere warmer, and change bedding again. TY all for your help and support. Any more suggestions would be much appreciated. I don't have medicated feed but I do have naturewise starter and will take them a big bucket full. Kim

Stuff like this makes me so mad! I can't offer any advice, but I'm so sorry you have to deal with this. It's heartbreaking when you know you can't help long term. Some people can be so blind. I can't believe she is feeding so little!

I can't believe it either, another dead baby this morning, also an older 1 not a small one.
I believe it's a money issue with her husband, but they do not have money problems, she owns a business, but most of her money goes back to that so they live on her hubbies money mostly, their house/Farm is paid for by her from the inheritance from her dad a few years ago, also the proceeds of her original house, from her first marriage I think, but I believe she paid for most of the farm, but it's his cuz he works a full time job with lots of overtime when available.
Currently they are in Africa on a hunting trip that's where all or most of there money goes. Big game hunting they have been all over, last year alone they were in Australia, and New Zealand, Canada, Utah, and Louisiana. Their house has more mounted animals than most museum's.
Her hubby is always crabbing about her animals, and how much it cost to feed them. so I think she is stuck going the absolute cheapest way possible to keep him from being worse, because according to him everything is his and she has no income to contribute, he's a real piece of work, reminds me too much of my X husband to even like him, he's a grouchy bear who treats her terrible. I could tell ya a few horror stories about him, but it would take all day.
I've talked to her about that stuff, but she is on her second marriage, first 1 was a drunken good for nothing, but this one in my opinion is just as bad, but she will never leave him, she's too insecure, or used to being a door mat. She is the sweetest lady, and I feel really so sorry for her, and what she puts up with, she is the kind of person who gets taken advantage of because she is too nice, so I can't really blame her, but it makes me crazy when I see sick, crippled, and dieing animals when it would be so easy to fix, with some better care and feed.
I wish she would just let her business buy all her feed, so he could say nothing about how much it cost!!!!!! argggggg grrrr
Well will keep everyone posted, they are due home late Monday, so at least next week I won't have to see..... and get so depressed about it. I hate it when babies die..
On the up side my babies are doing great, didn't loose any in shipping or after, this time and they are getting huge even my failure to thrive is now thriving........ just half the size of his brooder mates, but doing great. I was afraid I would loose him, even though it's a roo I'm pretty sure, and will go to freezer camp at some point, it's still very hard to loose 1.

I'm so sorry they keep dying on you. I hope your neighbors come home soon. This doesn't really seem fair that you need to deal with this. I wonder if they got coccidis. It could take out the whole flock if not treated, I think. Or they could be dying from not eating enough or being too cold. It's so hard to tell what is causing their deaths. I'm not sure what to do with the one that has a broken leg. I'm not experienced with injuries yet. I have had my flock go through a respitory infection, but I was able to cure it with antibiotics and vitamins. I doubt there's anything you can do on how she raises her animals. Normally people have their own ideas and stick with them unless they ask for advice. It's unbelievable that they are out on a trip, but yet they choose to let their animals suffer. That is awful. I had an old neighbor like that, with their dogs and cat. Luckily for me, they moved. It's heartbreaking to see this. I hope the best for the chicks. Good luck until their return. It sounds like you may have more casulties before they come back. Hopefully the whole flock won't be wiped out. Good luck!

Yes actually I was just up there again to check on the babies, and if the wind break I put up was holding, I basically wrapped there cage in double layer heavy corn bag to block out the draft. another dead baby...... at this rate they will all be dead before Monday.....
I rummaged through her cabinet, and found ammomycin? not sure on the spelling but I gave them a small piece of the power in there water, maybe it will help, I have no idea whats going on, I have taken care of her animals for over 5 years now and have never had this happen 1 or 2 maybe, but this makes 6 or 7.............Her hubby of course will blame me and say I didn't feed them or something...... like could my luck get any worse than it has been this past month enough already.........good grief.........I think someone has curced me.....
I'm cooking them some eggs as we speak, and will add my vitamins as soon as ??? tomorrow, how long should I leave the antibiotic in their water? I thought tonight I would dilute in half strength and tomorrow give them just water with some vitamins in it.........will that be enough, if it's cocci will this antibiotic even work? I have no raw milk for a milk flush right now,, my milk lady is also out of town.........arghhhhhhhhhh Can't remember where I read what anti, to use for cocci. corrdid ? right OMG I wish my memory was better, freaking out here..........anyone close to me reading this thread??????????? Clintonville Wis. the big bash is this weekend maybe someone coming up for that. Sure could use some helpful friends right now.........