4 wk old Rhode Island chicks dying

[babsbag]

Corid usually works pretty quickly. Just make sure that they are drinking. I know that 100 chicks is a lot, but maybe dip their beaks and make sure they are taking it. It is good that you gave some by dropper. I would have done the same. Good luck and keep it up.

 

[Brahma Mamma]

Only 1 dead this morning! There is another one who doesn't look good be she's still walking. This is a relief. Looks like we lost about 50%. Much better than losing
them all.

 

[Brahma Mamma]

Thank you babs! We have been feeding water to the weaker ones and a few of them pulled through!

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

It sounds like things are starting to turn around.

 

[blueskylen]

my goodness! i hope that they are recovering now. i would be so sad to lose so many after 4 weeks.

 

[Sachasmom]

Most of the drugs do seem to work pretty fast. Coccidia can be a nasty disease. The key to getting rid of it (besides medicating) is to keep everything clean so they don't reinfect themselves. I'm glad you caught it in time to save most of them. I had bought some Silkies from a breeder, and I knew the second they had the bloody poo what it was, I decided I was feeding medicated feed to chicks from now on. Probably what killed that last batch of Silkies I had last fall, out of 24 I only had 4 left (and a mink ate two of those!

) I also rushed them outside, whole nother story there!

I have wondered if they can contaminate themselves during hatch (Can the embryos themselves carry it?) by coming into contact with poo on an egg.

I lost almost half of my Ameraucanas one year, even in a new brooder with new stuff, so I think the contaminated at hatch theory might be accurate, I couldn't understand how on earth they could have gotten it! I now feed medicated feed to all chicks, they seem to be fine once they go outside (the stuff moved outside doesn't get medicated feed) I'm really not much for medicating stuff without cause, but this years batch of birds have been much better since I started doing it. I do think there is some merit to having chickens develop natural immunity and culling for strong immune systems.

I think there was a British site that had chicken poops on it, so you could see healthy poo, and unhealthy poo?

 

[Brahma Mamma]

Blueskylen - Thank you! It is a relief to have the virus stopped!

 

[Brahma Mamma]

Quote:
We have had them on medicated feed, same as our other 650 + chicks. These are the only ones who came down with it. There may be some merit in the hatchery contamination. We kept the bedding fresh, so maybe that slowed the disease down for awhile. We have consistently lost birds out of that lot each week.

 

[Brahma Mamma]

Thank you everyone for your hugs and support! There is one more dead (in almost 12 hours). So, with some luck and work, we'll keep the rest of our RIR's alive to grow up to be beautiful egg layers!