Chicks dying - No apparent reason

[kwgrid]

Very strange about the chicks. The symptoms remind me of what happened to a baby Wood duck that was about a day old when found by a friend. My daughter and I just happened to have a setup for about 18 baby chicks going at the time so the friend asked if we could adopt it. We fixed a seperate little box for it right next to the chicks and it seemed to be a happy little camper....for two days. We gave it the same feed we gave the baby chicks with a little water added to make kind of a mash. It seemed to like it fine. At about 3 days old it started with that lethargy thing then over a couple of hours all the other symptoms you listed and finally the contortions and death. None of the chicks had any symptoms whatsoever and all are well and now 4 months old.

I would love to know what killed the baby duck yet did not cross over to the chicks. BTW, of the 18 chicks, only 6 had been vaccinated. The rest were "packing peanuts".

 

[jpace]

This morning there was cheeping and movement in the brooder when I turned the overhead lights on, that is a good sign I think. Last night is was too quiet, no peeping, no movement - just the chicks laying around. I started the medication (Albon) yesterday afternoon around 5pm. Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[jpace]

The Albon is definitely working. This morning they were peeping running and fluttering around the brooder. Their food intake also seems to be back to normal. Whew...

 

[kathyinmo]

Albon is a sulfa med.

In poultry, sulfadimethoxine is added to drinking water to treat coccidiosis, fowl cholera and infectious coryza.

 

[jpace]

Quote:
Thank you, I was wondering what type of drug it was. I left the vet so fast I forgot to ask!.

Everybody is back to normal - just doing what chicks do.

John