2nd chick just died, some advice needed please, whats wrong with them?

[Mk_lanch]

my second beautiful little chick has died today, all similar symptoms to the first chick that died.
this chick was only born on the 8th august making her 6 days old. this chick was a pekin bantam x polish
she was born very active and eating and acting normal. around 2 days ago she slowed down (the other chick died around this time). she wouldn't really eat but would drink alot. i noticed she was open mouth breathing and her poop was white.

these chicks have been hatched out in a brooder by my broody hen and have no access to the ground as of yet.

i'm in the uk so im feeding her marriages chick crumb (medicated) this is my first time using this and the first time ive lost chicks.
the feed information is as followed:


Composition:
Wheat, Soya (bean) meal, Wheatfeed, Barley, Beans, Peas, Fish meal, Vitamin and mineral premix, Vegetable oil and fat, Calcium carbonate, Monocalcium phosphate, Salt, Sodium bicarbonate, DL methionine, Lysine.

Additives:
Vitamins: E672 Vitamin A 10000IU, E671 Vitamin D3 3000IU, Vitamin E 15mg.

Trace Elements:
E1 Iron 161mg, E2 Iodine 2mg, E4 Copper 40mg, E5 Manganese 129mg, E6 Zinc 69mg, E8 Selenium 0.33mg, Digestibility enhancers E1640 6-phytase 1000FTU.

Analytical Constituents:
Crude Protein 18.0%
Crude Ash 5.6%
Crude Oil and Fats 3.5%
Crude Fibre 3.5%
Calcium 1.0%
Sodium 0.15%
Phosphorus 0.61%
Methionine 0.4%
Lysine 0.93%

i have been using this bedding https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00J9T0S3M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and have been giving them water with added poultry drink and vitamin b drops.

can someone please give me some idea of what is going on. i have increased ventilation in the brooder and have provided water with apple cider vinegar, crushed garlic and some oregano.

vets in the uk cant really do much at the minute for birds due to covid. i have only 1 chick left and want that one to survive.

please someone must have some ideas

 

[DaGoober]

Hmmmm I’m not sure but if this happens again to another chick, maybe there could be a little sickness going around on the chicks, definitely give baby chickens electrolytes so they grow better, but other than that I don’t know exactly.

 

[Mk_lanch]

Hmmmm I’m not sure but if this happens again to another chick, maybe there could be a little sickness going around on the chicks, definitely give baby chickens electrolytes so they grow better, but other than that I don’t know exactly.

ive just texted someone that hatched some of my chicken eggs out and his chicks are all doing fine

 

[DaGoober]

You could maybe clean it with some type of safe soap to clean chickens, make sure she is on electrolytes, and make sure your other chickens (if you have any) aren’t sick as well. I would separate her and put her in another bin inside with a heat lamp, make sure you clean the bin as well as possible, and maybe get some more chicks for her so she isn’t alone at all.

 

[Mk_lanch]

i have 1 egg in my incubator thats due to hatch in the next 2-3 days. so hopefully she will have someone with her

 

[Folly's place]

How about giving them plain water, without all those extra ingredients? Are they actually drinking the flavored water?
Chick feed should be good, as long as the mill date is reasonable.
Have you used that bedding before for your birds? I saw 'lemon oil fragrance' and wonder if it's too much, or no scent at all, at chick level.
Mary

 

[Mk_lanch]

How about giving them plain water, without all those extra ingredients? Are they actually drinking the flavored water?
Chick feed should be good, as long as the mill date is reasonable.
Have you used that bedding before for your birds? I saw 'lemon oil fragrance' and wonder if it's too much, or no scent at all, at chick level.
Mary

hi Mary,

yes i have used this bedding before but i normally buy it from my local farm store but due to covid got it from amazon this time. i'm wondering if water of condensation got into the bedding creating mold spores. it smells fine but just in case i have ordered pine shavings now.
ive been raising chicks for the last 6 years and have never had any die until this year. its very sad and disheartening. also there are not many vets that treat birds and the only one that does told me that they are not sending of or able to do testing etc until after covid!
of all the times for there to be a problem there is one when i have no options.

they are drinking the water with no problems.

 

[Folly's place]

Very sad situation, and I hope it's a fluke, not a trend, so your new chicks do fine. Losses, especially unexplained losses, are so hard to take!
Mary

 

[Mk_lanch]

im thinking its brooder pneumonia. all the symptoms seem to match that. i was so happy, they were all different colourings and so pretty. these were the last fertile eggs that i had as i no longer have my roosters. this is so disappointing.