despeart for some help all my babys are dying

[mylou]

Hello I am in desperate need of some advise. I have or had thirty new baby’s I kept them indoors for quit a while. They had and still have a heat light in a good size area. In the coop. They are able to get out of the heat if they need. Plenty of chick starter and reg chicken feed along with water. I will check on then in the AM and all is fine around lunch I will check on them again and one or two will be sitting off alone. They will have there wings lowered and kind of fluffed up they look like they are tired. When I come back out they are lying on there side and are very week and unable to keep there head up. There crops are empty, no pasty butt’s. I am going to take a large kennel out there and put all the baby’s in it to keep them away from the four adults I have.. Any advice or direction would be great. I am having two to three dye a day, the 5 week olds and the 3 week old are the ones dying.

 

[dlhunicorn]

I do not know where you are located (and thus the temps there) but my first question is > did you have them on medicated starter (and are you still giving it? Cocci is so very common and perhaps the move has stressed them (or eating other things than the medicated starter) to where the cocci has become pathogenic?

 

[Uppity Peon]

Were they vaccinated at the hatchery?

My guess is that they are diseased. You probably need to have one or more of the obviously sick ones examined by a vet.

 

[purpletree23]

They need chick starter only.....not regular feed. What do you mean by regular feed? Adult food can cause kidney damage in chicks. Are you sure it not too hot??? Do you have a thermometer on the floor of the area you are keeping them in? Is the heat too much near the water or food. It may be driving them away and they are starving or dehydrated. The ones that are listless, give them a little sugar water. Put drops on top of their beak so it will gently go into their mouth and they wont drown. Are the starter crumbles too big? I know my chicks had a hard time eating them so I put them into the blender and they are dust and crumbles. Good luck. Keep us posted

 

[NotTheMomma]

Could the adult hens be chasing the smaller ones off the feed and water? I think you're correct in separating them. At least then you can rule out the older hens being the problem./

 

[purpletree23]

THEIR CROPS ARE EMPTY? I went back to read your post again. I think it is too hot near their food or the crumbles are too large. Make them a scrambled egg and kind of mash it. See if they will eat it.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

try and list the symtoms
if you think it is without water and feed and heat stress do that

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

sorry I comfused the information and will allow the others to help you the next lady has some thoughts
go with her advise

when using vitamins and electrolytes give just the neccessary amt prescribed
as too much electrolytes will kill baby chicks also

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
And you know this how may I ask? Sitting fluffed up could be a dozen and 1 things, there are no symptoms of cocci aside from that being posted by the OP. You DO NOT give animals antibiotcs and medication WITHOUT knowing what is going on.


If their crops are empty that means they are not eating or rapid processing their food. So, I would run down the immediate list...

1. Is their chick starter being eaten by the older hens?
2. Are the older hens running and chasing the babies?
3. What is the temperature inside the coop?
4. are the little ones being let out to free-range?
5. How is their poo? Does it look normal?
6. were the babies quarantined away from the adults at least 30 days? (obviously the three week olds were not)
7. Are the showing any other physical symptoms such as running/watery eyes, gunked up eyes, sneezing, drainage from the nostrils?


If they were mine I would isolate them away from the big girls, give them electrolyes with vitamins and minerals in their water, give them some mashed up scrambled or hard boiled egg, some plain yogurt with their chick starter sprinkled on top...get them eating and drinking.

Check their poo carefully...Cocci normally causes a bloody or very very dark stool. get a stool sample from the babies and take it to a vet for a float test...they cost $8 -$20 and will test for any parasites present as well as other illnesses.

Good luck with them. It may not hurt to take stool samples from the older ones and have them vet checked also...your big girls may have something they are transferring to the babies. But I think it is more heat and big girl related that is keeping them from eating. That fluffed up thing with the wings out can also be a sign of overheating. Are they panting or breathing with their mouths open?

Good luck with them.

 

[speckledhen]

Plenty of chick starter and reg chicken feed along with water

Do you mean they are in with the adults? I'm not clear on the setup here. How old are they? Yes, it might be cocci, but it might be something else. The fact that their crops are empty worries me--why are they not eating? I dont feel we have enough information to make a call, really. I think if you will answer Cetawin's questions, we may be able to make a better guess for you.​