MINchick
Chirping
- Jan 31, 2019
- 49
- 62
- 69
Hi Everyone,
We picked up some chicks of various breeds from a local breeder four days ago. They all seemed fine and healthy to begin with but the second day we had a chick die. She was up and down for half a day and died overnight. We found her on her back in the brooder, lethargic, not eating or drinking. The next day we lost another chick that had similar symptoms. Unable to walk and really lethargic. That one went down hill quickly. We checked on it and it was slightly lethargic and two hours later it was dead. Yesterday we lost another, about a week older than the others. It was lethargic for about eight hours, became unable to walk and then died. We have a fourth chick who is now mildly lethargic and walking odd (lifts one leg up really high but that may be unrelated).
There has been no blood in any of their poop. I have them on puppy pads for the first week which I change twice daily. They get fresh food and water daily. The water has probiotics and electrolytes. The first chick got Nutra Drench but the others just went down hill too quickly. They have a Brinsea heater (the plate kind). This is our fourth batch of chicks and we've never lost one in the past. I'm thinking these chicks were exposed to something before they left the breeder. Our brooder hasn't been used in well over a year and was disinfected before use and after each chick died. The breeder hatches 50(ish) chicks a week. Her adult birds seemed in good shape and her chicks were in a relatively clean area but I know that may not mean much.
Before I call this breeder and ask for a refund or replacement chicks, I want to make sure it isn't something that we are doing. I'm wondering if it's something like E-Coli? I would appreciate any input.
We picked up some chicks of various breeds from a local breeder four days ago. They all seemed fine and healthy to begin with but the second day we had a chick die. She was up and down for half a day and died overnight. We found her on her back in the brooder, lethargic, not eating or drinking. The next day we lost another chick that had similar symptoms. Unable to walk and really lethargic. That one went down hill quickly. We checked on it and it was slightly lethargic and two hours later it was dead. Yesterday we lost another, about a week older than the others. It was lethargic for about eight hours, became unable to walk and then died. We have a fourth chick who is now mildly lethargic and walking odd (lifts one leg up really high but that may be unrelated).
There has been no blood in any of their poop. I have them on puppy pads for the first week which I change twice daily. They get fresh food and water daily. The water has probiotics and electrolytes. The first chick got Nutra Drench but the others just went down hill too quickly. They have a Brinsea heater (the plate kind). This is our fourth batch of chicks and we've never lost one in the past. I'm thinking these chicks were exposed to something before they left the breeder. Our brooder hasn't been used in well over a year and was disinfected before use and after each chick died. The breeder hatches 50(ish) chicks a week. Her adult birds seemed in good shape and her chicks were in a relatively clean area but I know that may not mean much.
Before I call this breeder and ask for a refund or replacement chicks, I want to make sure it isn't something that we are doing. I'm wondering if it's something like E-Coli? I would appreciate any input.
