5 day old chicks dying

[frawgsis]

These are old english game bantams, they are show stock. I hatched 14 of 26 last week. 2 died within hrs and the rest were fine until yesterday. Yesterday was horrible - started out with 1 bb red chick on it's side one leg straight out behind it. I removed the screen wire I always put them on and placed clean paper in - he died. Got up this morning and all are dead except 5 and ohe of those keeps getting on his back and I have to turn him over. I put some wet food that I added more vital and duramycin to in for them. Temp is fine. I feed chick starter, give water that is medicated and has Vital vitamins in it. Have hatched several times this year and no losses. Please help as I have no clue what this is. All my eggs come from my own birds - no ordered eggs, no new birds, etc. Thank you

 

[chooks4life]

Whenever I have an outbreak of something, I give raw garlic, which can knock viruses and infections on the head when they are too powerful to be touched by even strong antibiotics, though this can be possibly harmful when medicated feed involving antibiotics is given as they toxify and damage the liver, so garlic's high sulphur levels may not go down too smooth. Still, it's an option. Sounds like whatever you've got is attacking the nervous system, but not a lot of detail in your description of the symptoms. Best wishes.

 

[ten chicks]

More info needed,how is their poop?Is the feed fresh? Why are you using duramycin,are they showing signs of respiratory infection?

 

[frawgsis]

Poop is fine that is why I didn't mention problems with it, I put fresh food and water in twice daily for them and on the duramycin - we have always given it in water for ouf newly hatched chicks. We have been hatching and raising for 3 years now after a break of 20 yrs from hatching and showing. We hatched and showed for 15 yrs before that. We have not encountered this problem before so I was thinking maybe a virus. We have lost chicks periodically but never almost an entire hatching. They seem to not be able to use their legs, almost like splay legs but they are 5 days old today. We usually put them on a piece os screen wire (like for windows) because they are able to get their legs coordinated on that after hatching. We leave them in the incubator after hatching until they are completely dry - usually 12-24 hrs. Like I said we have never had such a high mortality rate that is why I wondered about viruses. We don't bring other birds............I think I have covered everything but may have missed something. Thanks to everyone who is trying to help solve this problem!

 

[chooks4life]

If their poop's fine and they're showing sudden onset lameness and death I'd blame either a nasty virus of toxicity. Most likely, anyway. If you've covered all the bases and can't figure a potential culprit I would then look at possibly the medicated water or feed, sometimes bodgies happen and they overdo it, or a random accidental contamination. Next best bet would be a vet report on the victims. It's also possible over time to develop sensitivities to something you always used for their ancestors or whatever is the most commonly used drugs...

 

[frawgsis]

Thanks for the advice. I wish we had a vet that treated chickens but I have been unsuccessful in finding one in central Oklahoma (if anyone knows of one I would love to get the contact info). I bought a new brooder container, bleached waterer and feeder, then mixed vitamins and plain water with the chick feed and so far all 5 are still alive - could it have been a vitamin deficiency?

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: Always a possibility, too. Any overdose in most minerals/vitamins will cause a deficiency in other minerals or vitamins, as well, and overdoses often show the same symptoms as deficiencies in those vitamins/ minerals, etc, so one way or another they're damaged or dead...