Chicks OD on vitamins?

[Newbie chick 30]

Quick Chick Question:
Back story:
My adult chickens have been ill with some type of respiratory type thing…I have been treating them with antibiotics and been giving then medicated chick feed to get them through this but is has been coming and going for the last month.
Question:
I have a BUNCH of chicks…various ages…little ones in one cage…bigger ones in another…all completely separate from the adult chickens. Trying to be proactive…I started to add vitamins (bought at TSC, powdered to mix in with water, all around pick me up) to their water. Sunday…2 of the smaller chicks died very unexpectedly and without any symptoms other than just standing away from the rest. Then last night I found one for my bigger chicks…fine in the morning dead at night...Is it possible that I am overdosing them with the vitamins? They give measurement instructions but they aren’t very clear and usually pertain to LG amounts of water…I also noticed that when I gave them water yesterday (with the vitamins) they didn’t hardly drink it but when I gave the fresh water this morning (w/o vitamins) they went crazy…and I found another lame big chick (same breed as the 1st that dies – Golden champione). One other thing...i noticed clear red poo in the big chicks cages (looked kind of like jello).

 

[speckledhen]

If you added vitamins with electrolytes, yes, they can be overdosed. And medicated feed is medicated against coccidiosis, not a respiratory disease so it will have no effect on your adults' health issues. If there is a case of cocci with the younger ones, you'd need Corid, not medicated starter. They may be dying from cocci.

 

[Newbie chick 30]

Could the crazy looking poo be from the vitamin mix...I haven't noticed any poo problems until this morning. I took out the vitamin water and yes it did have electrolytes in it....hope this is enough to keep from losing anymore.

I knew the medicated feed was only for the certain illness but it is what I am currently feeding my chicks and figured it being chick feed would have some extra nutrients to help with my bigger sick chickens stay strong to fight their infection (with the help of antibiotics). Maybe I have misunderstood the whole chick feed thing.

 

[silkiechicken]

Medicated feed often only contains a thamine blocker that inhibits the growth of cocci, and uptake to some extend in the birds.

It is possible to take too many vitamins, especially in supplement form.

With humans, don't take too much calcium with too much dietary vitD... that's a recipe for kidney stones.

 

[dwegg]

I feed my chicks medicated chick feed and I put vitamins/electrolytes in their water, I also put the vitamin/electrolytes in my big girls water. Just make sure you don't put too much in there...I don't think it will kill them though? Mine are thriving on the stuff..rooster booster products here...

 

[speckledhen]

They don't need the electrolytes unless there is a specific reason, like extremely hot weather. I never use them; in fact, they wouldn't drink enough if I did because they don't like the taste (I tried one summer). I never use them for chicks, either. You can actually kill your chicks by overdosing on those by throwing their body chemistry way out of balance.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The math is difficult for the ratio of vitamins and smaller amounts of water. I did the math and it comes out to just over 1 ml. of vitamin/electrolyte mix per gallon of water. That's about 1/4 tsp.. Anything can be lethal in too high of dose - especially things made in a laboratory.

 

[tetznoid]

I followed the instructions it turns out that I was overdosing my chicks aredropping like flies my kids are crying. the instructions are for large flocks not for the smaller ones like you and I would have. Survey the company that makes it very verified my concerns. they said the FDA won't allow them to put instructions on there which would address this issue.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm very cautious giving chicks anything but water and starter feed.
When I give vitamins I try to underdose. Those are some pretty small bodies.