chicks dying

[ladyfarmer]

Hello. I am new to the forum. I have had 10 chicks die in the last 4 days. they are 1 week old. Help! I have raised many chickens before and never had this happen.

 

[faykokoWV]

can you list

what breed
what are you feeding them
any symptoms
what's the poo look like

 

[purpletree23]

Where are they being housed?
What is the temp in the brooder?
What do they act like before they die?

 

[chickensioux]

Quote:
What kind of bedding are they on too?

 

[chickerdoodle]

How many do you have--total?
Are their vents pasted up?
Are they getting chilled/wet?
Do they all eat and drink?
Is the food bad?
What temp is on the thermometer?
Are they getting picked on by other chicks?
Drafts?
Bedding dry and clean?
Did they spend too long in the mail?

Try the energy gel for new chicks to give them a boost of electrolites and vitamins.
Hope they get better!!

 

[purpletree23]

thanks chickensioux.....I forgot a couple I guess.

 

[ladyfarmer]

OK let me see if I can answer all the questions. They are Ameraucna's and Cucoo Marans. The feed they are on is Nutrena (which I now suspect is not medicated) They came from a feed store. It is the first time I have bought from them. The chickes are in a seperate coop in a confined place with the heat lamp and food. The chickes that have died have thier little backsides all clumped up with poop. the other birds poop looks healthy. They seem fine and then I check on them a few hours later and they are on the ground, in what looks like convolsions (sp). They die within a few hours. I have lost 14 out of 30!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

The chicks are dying because there bottoms are clogged up with the feces. They cant poop. Make sure that you keep their bottoms clean. Clean their bottoms, and then apply some vaseline, which will keep the poop from sticking.

Also, i was told by Nutrena that the chick starter/grower is non medicated.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Pull off the clumped poo, clean with warm water and apply vaseline. Change to a medicated chick starter.

DON'T add sugar to the water...this can cause further diarrhea. Edited to say that some chicks have looser stool at various time. Loose stool, by itself, isn't a problem. Just need to keep the butts cleaned and monitor for overall health.

 

[soctippy]

Use a washcloth with warm water and a little hand soap to clean their butts off. DO NOT just try and pull the poop off, you can sometimes pull their intestines out at the same time. then rinse them off with warm water, dry, then apply the vaseline.