5 new chicks

[night]

I was wondering if I need to give my chicks any antibiotics and if so when and what type to use?

 

[Crazy Wife]

You can get packets of powered vitamins and electrolytes at feed stores. Just add to their water.

 

[Crazy Wife]

Also, where did you get the chicks? Hatchery, feed store, friend?

 

[night]

I hatched them in an incubator. I have vitol I've givin to the other chickens is that a possibility for the chicks?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Why would you give them anti-biotics?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't believe in treating chickens with antibiotics just to be doing it, anymore than I would treat my kids with antibiotics just for fun. If they have something that needs to be treated, then treat it. But don't use antibiotics for a preventative. It kills any probiotics they might have and does not allow them to develop some of the immunities they need. Instead of using antibiotics, use good husbandry practices, like keeping their brooder dry.

Chicks need food, water, warmth, a clean and dry brooder, and protection from predators when you raise them in a brooder. That's all they need. You'll find lots of people on this forum that feed them strange things and people that put all kinds of stuff in the water like sugar, electrolytes, vinegar, and who knows what else. In moderation, that stuff does not hurt them but they don't need it. They might get some kind of boost from some of that, but they need feed and water. I think the big advantage of giving them a lot of that stuff is that it makes the human feel like they are doing something special to help the chicks. There are lots of people that firmly believe their chciks do better from doing some of that, but I don't do anything beyond basic feed and water and my chicks don't die in the brooder.

They are your chicks. You can give them whatever you wish. I don't know what that Vitol is, probably some type of energy drink. In moderation it won't hurt them. Do they need it? No, but it won't hurt them.

 

[night]

Thanks for the info. I'm an AC Tech. and know little about chicks other then what I've learned in the past with some of my Older chicks I've bought. I had a bout with some getting slow and kinda getting paralyzed then passing away so I learned of Corid which solved that problem. I have bronze turkeys and their faces are swelling and I'm starting them on Tylan. I just want to head off anything I can. It seems like diseases take birds down quickly and it worries me. Vi-tol is a type of vitamin drink for the birds I was told about. I want give these chicks anything till trouble arises.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.poultry.msstate.edu/extension/pdf/Mycoplasmosis.pdf

While I don't have turkeys and don't know what is wrong with them, it might be good for you to read up on chronic respiratory disease (CRD), and consider saving your new chicks from coming in contact with your turkeys' infection.

Your new baby chicks don't need any antibiotics- I agree with the others. However, you might consider culling your turkeys before your babies come out to range. And cleaning/disinfecting coops etc. I don't know how large your flock is, however, and how feasible this is. Some choose to treat CRD with antibiotics and keep a closed flock. Others cull.

But you have some nice fresh new babies there and I'd protect them if I could, if it were me. Some diseases, though, like MG can pass thru the egg to the chick. But even so, there is no need to give antibiotics until they are ill in my opinion.

Here's another link:
http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/respiratory_disease.htm

If you want to know exactly which disease it is, you can send a turkey for necropsy I believe- contact your state vet or extension agent.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That's new information. As I said, if you have a reason, that's different. It sounds like you have a history of coccidiosis. I don't know how much you know about that. It's caused by a protozoa in the ground. It's not a problem for them to have some of those protozoa in their gut. That will actually help them develop immunity. It's when the number of protozoa get out of control that you see a problem.

There are different straions of cocci protozoa. Immunity to one is does not give immunity to all. Some strains are stronger than others. They develop the immunity easier when they are very young compared to when they are older.

Wet manure is part of the protozoa life cycle. Usually if you keep them in a dry brooder, coop, or run, cocci is not a problem. The numbers don't get out of hand. But if any of these are wet, you can develop a problem if they haven't developed immunity. A brooder is usually pretty easy to keep dry. You can probably manage that with your coop too. If the weather sets in wet, most runs can be impossible to keep dry.

I'm going to suggest something to you. Feed them some dirt the older birds have pooped in. That will introduce the protozoa to them when they are very young and you can keep the brooder pretty dry. Don't obsess over a dry coop. A little damp poop in there is not a bad thing. They need a bit of damp poop so the protozoa can go through its life cycle and they can develop that immunity. It's when it gets really wet that there is more danger.

I give them that dirt about the second or third day they are in the brooder to introduce the protozoa. I've never had a problem with cocci. I just keep the brooder fairly dry so they don't get too many of that protozoa. They are going to be exposed to that protozoa when they hit the ground. I prefer them to have the immunity when that happens.

When you do this, watch them. If they start showing signs of cocci, treat them with the corid. I don't like coric. It's hard on them. But if you need to treat, you need to treat.

Something else you can do is feed them a medicated feed where the "medicated" ingredient is Amprolium. Amprolium is not an antibiotic. It is specially made for cocci. It does not treat anything else. It does not kill the protozoa in the dosage in the medicated feed. It slows down the reproduction of the protozoa. It helps keep the numbers under control. If they have a bad case, medicated feed will not cure them. You'll still need to watch them for signs and treat them if necessary.

I don't feed medicated feed. You probably don't have to but it will not hurt them. Enough of the protozoa reproduce so they can develop the immunity they need even on medicated feed.

 

[hen101]

powdered vitaimins