black oil sunflower seeds bad for chicks?

[roadrunner]

I recently read on this site that black oil sunflower seeds are good for hens and roosters that are multing. SO i went to my local feed store on friday and got a bag. I never intented for my 4 month old chicks to eat them but some of the little suckers eat some. But i wasn't worried cuz i didn't think that it could hurt them.
Well since they eat them i had one chick die yesterday
Now this morning theres another sick.
The seeds have to be doing this. Thats the only thing that has changed in the food. And the one's that have gotten sick i've noticed that their feathers have looked oily.
What can i do?
None of the adults are ill, just the chicks.
I just wanted to help the adults with there multing not kill all my chicks.

Any Help?


RoadRunner

 

[roadrunner]

I should add that the chick that died wouldn't eat or drink. She would stay standing with her eyes closed. She wouldn't respond to touch or noise.
SHe looked like she was in pain, poor thing.

 

[MissPrissy]

I am sorry for your losses.

I have never had a chicken get sick from black oil sunflower seeds. I buy them in bulk and scoop them out a big pile about once a week for a treat.

My chickens have been eating them since they were about 6 weeks old.

Sorry but do you mean 'molting'?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Black Oiled Sunflower seeds should not be making 4 month old chicks? sick, if its 4 days old or weeks old that may make a difference in my opinion...I throw them out to all my birds from 2 month old on.....they are good for laying hens to help with egg lubrication too...

Maybe you got a bad bag?...check for mold..but if the older hens and roos are not showing any signs of illiness something else in going on...

 

[roadrunner]

I newly sick ones poop is a runny white.
I know the black oil sunflower seeds shouldn't make them sick........it just dosn't make sinse. what else could it be?

If anyone has any ideas of what i can do for the newly ill one please tell.

I've taken her inside in a dry warm area no noise, plenty of water with electroiltes. I just don't know what else i can do. I don't want to lose another one.

 

[roadrunner]

Sorry, Yes i do mean "molting"
I'm not to concerned with my spelling right now, i'm sure i'll miss spell more

 

[MissPrissy]

I wasn't spell checking for you. I was making sure that I was understanding what you meant and to make sure I was reading 'molting' as the correct word.

Again, sorry for your losses.

 

[dlhunicorn]

are you giving just the hearts?
something else might be that the batch you bought was infected with a mycotoxin. If you stop feeding them and the symptoms go away then it is obviously the seed that was the problem.

 

[hinkjc]

Do your chicks have access to grit to grind up the seeds? I don't suspect impaction would cause death within a day, but something to consider.

Jody

 

[snugglepup]

I think it's more likely they have coccidiosis. You can take a stool sample to your vet to check, or just treat them all. Or let the weak ones go. It depends on how you choose to manage your flock.

I think if you had a contaminated bag of seeds, more chicks would be sick, if they all ate the same seeds. Although I'm sure weirder things have happened. But I'd look for horses before I looked for zebras.