Another sick chick question but please help if you can

ok now for the diarrhea, I would get them some oatmeal, I use the original and grind it up, chicks love it, it's like a treat for them. A week is to long for them to have diarrhea, they could be getting dehydrated. Are they drinking? As far as the pecking in the air, I wouldn't worry to much on that they are probably just impressed with themselves on what they can do. But the pecking at the food dish and missing a lot, that could be something else, check the eyes, look for any white coloring this is usually a sign of going or is blind. Check for crestiness, or swelling perhaps one of the other chicks peck at it. Check there breathing, watch the beak if the beak is opening and closing everytime they take a breath this could be a couple of things, one sinus or upper respiratory infection. I would get some vitamins in them, I swear by Polyvisol it works great for me.. I would probably get them off the grit for now replace it with the oatmeal see if the diarrhea goes away. You can either put the oatmeal in a separate bowl but leave it there and within an hour or so they should start eating it, if they don't then mix it directly into there food then they will have no choice. But I bet if you put it in a separate bowl they will be so curious at it they will go for it. Kind of looks like food only lighter that's what will make them so interested in it..

 

You know, I've had an outbreak of e. coli the past month or so and that's how the 3 month olds act when they start getting sick. E. coli is usually secondary to a lowered immune system, being young, moulting, whatever. I only mention it because I think it's so commonly overlooked as a problem. I did take the 1st few to the vet, now he just sends me home the injections (for a week) when a new one starts acting that way. I catch it early now and they recover quickly although I did lose 2.

 

If by tarry, you mean black, try offering some milk or cottage cheese. You may have to dip the tip of their beaks into it to get them to understand that it is edible. Just the tip, though, you don't want them to aspirate. Tarry stool is usually a sign of an upper g.i. bleed like an ulcer. It might be coccidiosis, but that's usually mucousy. You could try bringing a stool sample to your vet to do a fecal float and see if there are any signs of parasites.

 

I've never quite understood why people say to give milk products to chickens. They can't digest milk products. People also always say to give yogurt-another milk product. Great for humans but I'm not sure I'm sold on it for chickens. I've never heard anyone say that their chicken vet told them to use milk products.