Chicks dropping like flies, help!

moonflowerfarms

In the Brooder
8 Years
Jan 15, 2012
36
6
36
Golden, CO
Hi all, I got a shipment of chicks from Meyer hatchery yesterday. 3 were dead in the box, another one didn't make it to the night. The others looked healthy and were running around, and not cheeping much, but this morning I got up, and a polish was over on the side, dead. And now I have a black astrolorp who is droopy and not moving much when I poked him. I got 17, and I'm about to loose the 6th! What is going on? I've done chicks before, but never had any of them die, much less this many. They are on medicated feed, got the Maerk's vaccine from the hatchery, and I know that they were all eating and drinking well last night. Ach!
 
The brooder is large, for them to grow into. Its in the sunroom, so it's inside (though the room is unheated). We have 2 heat lamps, so they have areas to get under the light if they're cold, and to get out if they're not. They're pecking around the brooder like the whole thing is the right temp. They stay within 2 feet of the heat lamps, but they are neither huddling under it cold, or running away hot. I also checked all of them for pasty butt (none), and looked at the stools on the puppy pads I had down for their first day (all normal). So I dont' think its coccidosis, or environmental. Were they maybe just too stressed from the cold trip here? They came from Ohio to Colorado. The plane they were on was delayed in the snow storm. I still got them with the 2 day post, but I know they were out in the cold for longer than they should have been.
 
And I did the sugar and the straight from the nest scrambled eggs. I can't get the astrolorp who is in trouble to eat or drink. I dipped her beak in the water to try to help. The others have been pecking at the eggs and drinking the water happily.
 
Ok, now listen to me.

Your chicks need an emergency nutritional supplement called Poultry Nutri-Drench.
It mainlines into the bloodstream without digesting. if anything will save them at those point, it will.
You are blessed, the Bovidr Labs is in Golden Colorado. Here is their contact info.
Call them immediately and find out where you can buy it. I have used it on
collies and birds for a decade. Top quality stuff.
Go, get it now:
~~Bovidr Laboratories Inc.
Address: PO Box 799 Golden, CO 80402-0799 United States
Phone: (800) 658-4016
Fax: (303) 279-5311
 
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Stop feeding these chicks. Whatever is causing it...their G.I. tracts are compromised and they can't digest the feed.
Stop thinking of your chicks as bits of fluff and start thinking of them as walking G.I. tracts. ( whoever is laughing
out there, stop it, this is a critical piece of information) That's where the rubber meets the road in chick health.
Since they can't digest enough ( or any) food to help them at this point, you need to circumvent the G.I, tract
and get the nutrients they need directly into the bloodstream,. That's what Poultry Nutri-Drench does. It gives
them strength to survive and get well. It will not cure disease or heal injury, but it will give them strength to fight
and give the G.I. tract a rest.
Best,
Karen in western PA, USA
yes, it could definitely be travel stress. See here, once again the answer is Nutri-Drench:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/746509/how-to-deal-with-travel-stress-in-baby-chicks
 
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Thank you thank you! I called the nutri-drops people. They gave me the name of a dog breeder who happens to be 5 minutes from my office that buys their products. She sold me a bottle for cost, so I ran and got it, ran to the house, cornered them all, gave every one of them the drops, and cleaned 4 pasty butts that had developed since this morning. Phew!
 
Thank you thank you! I called the nutri-drops people. They gave me the name of a dog breeder who happens to be 5 minutes from my office that buys their products. She sold me a bottle for cost, so I ran and got it, ran to the house, cornered them all, gave every one of them the drops, and cleaned 4 pasty butts that had developed since this morning. Phew!
Wonderful news!
Best,
Karen
 
Also contact Meyer. They will replace the chicks that didn't make it. They have a 48 hour warranty. I just received 16 in the mail Wednesday from Meyer and all may babies are doing well. A few with pasty butt, but that's all. Good luck and keep us updated.
 

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