Baby chicks dying..listless and strange looking legs

[kittyhawk507]

Hi all,

I recently purchased 9 baby chicks from a local, reputable hatchery. So far, I've lost 3 of the chicks and need some advice or insight. I've raised chicks a few times before and never lost one, so this is perplexing.

The chicks were about 2 days old when I brought them home. I used the exact brooding set up as my previous two times raising chicks. I added electrolytes to their fresh water daily.

When they were about 4 days old, I came home and found my Speckled Sussex dead. I figured she was just a weak chick.

When they were around 9 days old, I noticed my baby Delaware was acting very listless. She was extremely sleepy acting and was barley eating or drinking. I noticed she had some poop stuck to her vent, so I gently cleaned her up and I started hand feeding her food softened by water which she would peck off my finger. She also would drink when I dipped her heal in the water. Her poop was very watery with green specks. After a few days, my mom recommended maybe supplementing with a little canned cat food. That really pepped her up. She was walking around eating and drinking on her own and seemed to be improving.

Just as she seemed to be improving, my baby Buff Orphington fell ill with the same symptoms and died within a day.

At that point my mom recommended treating with Corrid for coccidiosis. I read up on this site and used 2.5 ML of liquid corrid per quart. I started treatment and my little Delaware contined to improve. I noticed her legs were looking funny through and couldn't diagnose what it could be. Just when I thought we were over the worst, I came home last night and she was dead. I was really shocked because she seemed to be on the path to recovery.

Sorry for the long post. I'm just really perplexed. Any thoughts on a diagnosis? I've included two pictures of her when I first got her and her legs after they were looking strange. The sick Delaware and this Buff Orphington were also the two smallest in the bunch. They were about half the size if the other chicks by the time they were all 10 days old.

All thoughts, ideas, or tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

They have some sort of infection that's like a disease and is spreading because of the green pop yells infection to me hopefully you guys can get the ones you lost replaced or get a refund or something I'm so sorry that happened I know it's hard to loose chicks

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry to hear about your chicks

I would also suspect Coccidiosis and giving Corid was good. I would continue with the Corid for the 7days of treatment.

The foot, I'm not sure what is going on there, what does the bottom of the foot look like - any black or scabby looking areas? Was there any wet bedding?

We're glad that you joined, even under these sad circumstances.

 

[kittyhawk507]

They have some sort of infection that's like a disease and is spreading because of the green pop yells infection to me hopefully you guys can get the ones you lost replaced or get a refund or something I'm so sorry that happened I know it's hard to loose chicks

Thanks! It's crazy how attached I got to her this past week.

I just messaged the hatchery. I'm not that concerned about getting them replaced, but I thought they should be aware that the chicks were getting sick.

 

[kittyhawk507]

Thanks for the reply Wyorp Rock. I will definitely continue the Corrid for sure.

I love this site. I read all the time, but figured I should finally join.

The bedding was dry and I cleaned the water tray holding the water container daily and got rid of any damp shavings in that area.

The bottom of her feet looked perfectly normal. I thought bumblefoot at first, but there were no open sores or anything on the bottom of her feet. So strange!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for the reply Wyorp Rock. I will definitely continue the Corrid for sure.

I love this site. I read all the time, but figured I should finally join.

The bedding was dry and I cleaned the water tray holding the water container daily and got rid of any damp shavings in that area.

The bottom of her feet looked perfectly normal. I thought bumblefoot at first, but there were no open sores or anything on the bottom of her feet. So strange!

We hope you stay, join in and participate in the forums - ask questions, help others, give your opinion, share your experience!

Maybe someone else will recognize what's going on with the feet, I'm inclined to think it was a circulatory problem (genetics or hatching problem?) but there's no way to know for sure.

I hope the rest of your babies continue to do well.

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

We hope you stay, join in and participate in the forums - ask questions, help others, give your opinion, share your experience!

Maybe someone else will recognize what's going on with the feet, I'm inclined to think it was a circulatory problem (genetics or hatching problem?) but there's no way to know for sure.

I hope the rest of your babies continue to do well.

me too

 

[kittyhawk507]

We hope you stay, join in and participate in the forums - ask questions, help others, give your opinion, share your experience!

Maybe someone else will recognize what's going on with the feet, I'm inclined to think it was a circulatory problem (genetics or hatching problem?) but there's no way to know for sure.

I hope the rest of your babies continue to do well.

I'll definitely stick around. This place is a wealth of knowledge. I didn't think about some sort of circulatory issue. That would make sense though! Thanks again for your input.

 

[Chilly Lizard]

Thank you all for your input here. We rescued four chicks from an incubation situation gone wrong. They hatched seven days ago. One passed last night. Listless and having not eaten. One is doing much better today, but her legs are not right. One does not want to bend, the other foot is in a claw. She has been in a splint, we took it off and she wants to run but, she reminds me of Forest Gump and its just not happening. The third is walking, not eating a lot and pretty quiet. The fourth, well she's 100% happy girl.
After reading this thread when I woke up to losing one I ran & purchased Nutri Drench and they all love it! It definitely pepped them up and my children are hand feeding and loving them.
Any further thoughts are greatly appreciated!