Chickens dying?! Help!!

[LadyB]

Help! I have 3 hens and 4 8-10 week old chicks. The chicks are in the coop with the chickens but seperated so the chickens can not get them. Last week, 1 of my chicks died. The chicks had food, water, normal poop, no watery eyes, or sneezing. The other chicks had pecked the chick that died several weeks before, but that was all healed up. There were no other wounds or injury that we could see. Everybody else was fine and active.

This morning I went out and 3 more chicks were dead. They had food and water, good temperature and no wounds. The last living chick seems very healthy;. She's not running around crazy like but she is walking around the yard and checking stuff out. Her poop is watery white. She is drinking water and eating. No bloody stool, no head bobbing, no wheezing. My hens all seem totally fine; great poop running around eating, foraging, etc.

I went ahead and gave them sulmet.

Any idea of what is taking out my flock? Until this, I have never had any issues. Any help is greatly appreciated!!

 

[Erica]

This sounds worrying. Three out of four birds dying is serious.

Some forms of coccidiosis don't show up as blood in the droppings, and yet can kill very quickly. It sounds like a good idea to use a coccidiocide in any case (we don't have Sulmet here but I presume that's what it's for).

However this situation could also be from a different disease (some of which can produce white runny droppings). The problem is that sometimes hens get over an illness but become carriers. When new chicks are introduced they may have no immunity and can get sick. In this case it might want a vet visit for diagnosis if the coccidiocide doesn't work and the last chick gets sick.

If a vet is out of the question you might consider keeping all new chicks separate just in case. That's probably what I'd do.

Sorry for your losses, I hope this helps.

Erica

 

[the1honeycomb]

I had the same problem, tried everything then the old man who I talk to at the TCS said "sound cold" and walked away
I added another heat light to the brooder and haven't lost a chick like that since!
Good Luck!

 

[LadyB]

Since the orignal post I have set up a 'house' for the remaining chick in my bathroom again. We left to buy a cage mounted feeder (so she could have the most space possible) and came back to a different bird. She is much more alert, eating and drinking like crazy, and hanging out on her perch. I'm keeping her on the sulmet and dosing my other chickens as well, but so far so good.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[LadyB]

Oh, and she's had several good, not watery, poops.

 

[Erica]

Excellent! Sounds like it was cocci, and getting her off the ground and treating it has made all the difference.
Great news.