chicks keep dying.

[SaltyPaws]

Bought 10 chicks from someone off craigslist as well as 5 more from southern states. Gave them all a drop of nutri drench and added it to their water. Once we got them home a few looked like they were drunk. That was day one.

Day two, the drunk ones had perked up but then two more stopped eating and drinking. I gave them drops of yolk, water electrolytes from an eye dropper. Kept them warm, etc. The next am they were dead.

 

[SaltyPaws]

That was yesterday. Today am everyone seemed ok. I went to the feed store, came home and two were dead. I split them up putting everyone who looked at all off in another brooder. Went outside to do chores and one died from the healthy box. Now one of the healthy ones is wheezing and another has collapsed.

I'm used to seeing animals die because I used to work at a shelter, but this is breaking my heart.

 

[TacomaChickNMom]

You may have overdosed them on vitamins and minerals. You are only supposed to use 4 ounces of Nutri Drench per gallon of water, and if you gave the new babies EACH a "drop" and then added more to their water (how much did you add?),

that is waaayyyyy too much of a highly concentrated vitamin/mineral substance for their little bodies to process. Then, on top of that, you gave them electrolytes? They really only need fresh water and chick starter....

 

[SaltyPaws]

No signs of coccidia btw, unmedicated FF, acv in water electrolytes alternating with nutridrench.

 

[Frost Homestead]

I agree that seems like too much nutri-drench. They really don't need it. (what is FF?) I would give them plain clean water and chick starter, nothing else.

 

[SaltyPaws]

I didn't add it all at once... it says on the . bottle to give a drop. I added 2 oz to a gallon of water and then a packet of savachick to a separate gallon. I've been alternating between those and just plain acv water

 

[SaltyPaws]

FF- Fermented food

There's a bunch of info on here about it...

 

[SaltyPaws]

So just plain water? Is there anything else I can do?

 

[dawg53]

No signs of coccidia btw, unmedicated FF, acv in water electrolytes alternating with nutridrench.

There are 9 types of cocci that chickens can get. There are only a couple types that cause bloody feces. I recommend that you purchase Corid 9.6% liquid solution. Dosage is 9.5cc's per gallon of water given to them for 5-7 days. You didnt mention the how old the sick chicks are. Sick birds will not drink. You'll have to use an eyedropperful of the mixture to give it to them orally. Put a drop or two of the liquid on the side of their beak and hopefully they'll swallow it. You'll have to do this 6-8 times a day in order for the mixture to be effective until they are able to drink the mixture on their own. You should see improvement in about 3 days if properly dosed. Corid treats all 9 types of cocci. It can be found in the cattle section at a feed store.

 

[TacomaChickNMom]

I would just say don't overload them with too much stuff. Let them settle in and then see how they do. If they were shipped to you, I would say add electrolytes, but if they are local, they should be fine with just plain water and chick starter. Sometimes health issues pop up, and this forum is a great place to find answers. Less is more. I know you were just trying to help them out to make sure they were healthy and OK. And this is just my best guess as far as what the problem is. It could have been something else completely, I am no expert as I just recently started doing the whole chicken thing myself!