Chicks Dropping like Flies

[MrsFitzDarcy]

My chicks are still dropping like flies even though I got Ampril and oxytetracycline. The first two chicks died before any sign of sniffling and sneezing. This is my third incubated batch and had a 100% hatch rate. I also had six Ameracauna chicks from a friend. The eggs came from two other friends. One of those suggested Ampril because she had had some chicks die from what she suspects was coccidiosis. She had luck with the Ampril. I had twenty chicks total. I think I've lost 7.

I just don't know what to do.

 

[enola]

How old are they? In a brooder? What are you feeding them?

 

[Sjisty]

Sulmet or Corid in their water immediately. Dip their beaks into the water every 15 minutes or so to make sure they get some of the medicine. Coccidiosis has no symptoms of sniffling. Look for bloody poop, fluffed up chicks, not eating, etc. If they have coccidiosis, they will go down fast. They will also recover fast if it's caught in time.

 

[MrsFitzDarcy]

I am feeding them a chick starter (not medicated). I transferred it into a covered container, and I don't remember the brand or what percent protein it is. I've been giving them Save-a-Chick probiotics and electrolytes since they hatched. (Actually six of them I got from a friend at a few days old, and they were the first to start dying.)

I have some sniffling in the outdoor pens. Although I'm careful to wash hands and take my boots off outside, I did have some cross-contamination. Some of the chicks are sneezing. It doesn't seem to have any relation to the deaths. In other words, the ones that were sneezing are not necessarily dying.

I started oxytetracycline with the chicks and big chickens 3 days ago and Ampril last night. I have not been dipping beaks every 15 minutes though. I will put that on the agenda this morning.

They are about a week old and in a homemade brooder-box with shavings, some straw on top, and a heat lamp.

 

[enola]

Check the actual temperature under the heat lamp. Can they get away from the lamp if they get too hot?

Also, I am going to assume since the six other chicks are sneezing,
they came to you already sick.

 

[MrsFitzDarcy]

Check the actual temperature under the heat lamp. Can they get away from the lamp if they get too hot?

Also, I am going to assume since the six other chicks are sneezing,
they came to you already sick.

Yes, they can get away from it. The sneezing came from x-contamination from my outside flock. I tried to be careful, but I guess I wasn't careful enough. The six chicks that came from a friend didn't come sneezing.

 

[MrsFitzDarcy]

Temp is 94 deg F.