Chicks Stink?

[MacCana]

I am PRAYING this isn't something horribly deadly and contagious, but my chicks stink. They have been kept in a temp brooder inside my house for around 5 weeks. And have recently been moved outside. Like last night.
Then I did something stupid (bc I hand't noticed the stink yet) & a day before my shipped chicks got here, I made a new brooder (I had used cardboard boxes connected together as "disposable brooders") & put them in it. The next day I moved them outside & the next morning I went & picked up the new chicks from the post office.
And...put the newly shipped chicks in the box I just made, but had been used by my others (the ones that are smelly) for like a day.
I keep seeing Coryza or something popping up & I don't like it. At all!!! Their eyes aren't swelling or runny. I noticed some sneezes yesterday, but not today. No one is lethargic .... What do you all think? Give it to me straight pls. Thanks

 

[Eggcessive]

Chick's poops really stink once they start going outside, so maybe it is just that you are noticing. I would clean and put fresh pine shavings in the new chick's brooder since you wouldn't want them to get exposed to coccidiosis from the older chicks.

 

[dawg53]

Sounds like cecal poop to me. It's normal about every 8-10 droppings. Clean your brooder more often.

 

[MacCana]

Chick's poops really stink once they start going outside, so maybe it is just that you are noticing. I would clean and put fresh pine shavings in the new chick's brooder since you wouldn't want them to get exposed to coccidiosis from the older chicks.

That would make sense, since for the last 2 weeks before I moved them outside, we would take them outside for a little while & let them forage around almost daily. The brooder they're in right now, has only been in use for 3 days, so it's not nasty or anything. I line the boxes with wax paper & when the poop dries it just vacuums out. Do you think I should put shavings on top of it anyway? I most certainly can if need be. And I'm going to make a new box anyway just in case. Since my other birds were in there for one day.

Sounds like cecal poop to me. It's normal about every 8-10 droppings. Clean your brooder more often.

What would treatment for the first birds be, do you know? I'm not too worried about the new ones now, I'll just be more careful. The older ones are still pretty smelly (even though outdoors in large grassy run) & i noticed one having slightly cute-but-worrying sneezes tonight. This is only their 2nd night completely outside, so could it be the environmental change? The temp here doesn't get below 65 this time of year & they have a heat source outside too. And you're right, I could have cleaned the last one more. I had every intention of putting them outside 2 weeks sooner than when I did bc the temp has been so nice, but we've had a lot of thunder storms lately, so I was scared to. So they stayed in the "disposable" brooder longer than planned. Other than that they've been very happy, healthy, and sweet. I would be heartbroken if I made them sick and couldn't do anything to make them better.

 

[dawg53]

As long as your chicks are eating, drinking, running around and acting normal... everything is fine, don't worry about it.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, I agree with Dawg53 that they are fine if they look active and alert, and eating. Chickens should always have pine shavings, sand, or something similar in a brooder for their footing, but also the pine shavings make them smell better. Let's face it, after after 3 weeks chicks are smelly if you have them in the house, and once mine go outside during warm days, they smell pretty awful. If you want to be proactive and keep them healthy gut-wise, you may want to get some Probios Dispersible Powder (1/4 tsp per gallon) to add to their water 2-3 days per week. Small chick grit, then later regular grit will help them digest foods like grasses and grains other than chick crumbles. Learn the symptoms of coccidiosis which is common in chicks, and Corid is the treatment for it. Here are links:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/12/coccidiosis-what-backyard-chicken.html
http://www.jefferspet.com/probios-dispersible-powder/p/16568/

 

[MacCana]

I am on vacation right now & will be for the next week. Do you think my husband can use hamster bedding for the chicks in the brooder until I return?

 

[Eggcessive]

If it is cedar shavings, I would not. Pine shavings are fine. For young chicks under 2 weeks old many use paper towel sheets, and change the top layer when it gets soiled at least twice a day. Many use sand also.

 

[MacCana]

I am afraid of them eating the sand? Should I be? I had to remove the grit bowl last night bc they began eating it as if it was feed.