Diahrrea causes?

[FauxintheCoop]

I have a group of 1.5 week old chicks that have shown signs of diarrhea, it's pretty inconsistent though.

I lost 2 chicks 2 days ago and both had white excrement, so I put all the remaining chicks on electrolyte water and I mixed the normal feed with medicated feed (30% protein game bird starter mixed with 18% medicated chick feed)

I noticed a lot of diarrhea when we transfered the babies to a temporary holding while I cleaned out the brooder.

A little info:
20 chicks remaining, temp range from 85-75 and plenty of space, pic attached (everyone's a little sleepy right now)


Can anyone help me figure out what's going on and hopefully prevent more casualties?

 

[Alicethewhiterabbit]

Have you seen them drink water their own? Maybe have a little wet food out for them here snd there so ofter in little batches (so it doesnt go bad)

 

[FauxintheCoop]

Have you seen them drink water their own? Maybe have a little wet food out for them here snd there so ofter in little batches (so it doesnt go bad)

Yes, I've seen most, if not all of them, drinking water in the last two hours or so. I havent tried wet food before, is it literally just dampened food?

 

[Alicethewhiterabbit]

Yes, make sure it doesnt sit out tho to become bad

 

[Nabiki]

Changing feed can cause diarrhea, though it sounds like something else is going on here. The white excrement makes me think that they're not drinking enough as well, but I'm no expert on ailments.

@007Sean has a lot of experience, though and might be able to shed some light.

 

[FauxintheCoop]

Changing feed can cause diarrhea, though it sounds like something else is going on here. The white excrement makes me think that they're not drinking enough as well, but I'm no expert on ailments.

@007Sean has a lot of experience, though and might be able to shed some light.

Thank you! I make sure they always have clean water and I've definitely seen them drink, although I can't say I've seen ALL of them drink, it's hard to keep track. I can put in a second water container though, the one I have in there now still has the rocks in it too.

 

[Nabiki]

Thank you! I make sure they always have clean water and I've definitely seen them drink, although I can't say I've seen ALL of them drink, it's hard to keep track. I can put in a second water container though, the one I have in there now still has the rocks in it too.

They're big enough that you don't need the rocks now.

 

[007Sean]

I have a group of 1.5 week old chicks that have shown signs of diarrhea, it's pretty inconsistent though.

I lost 2 chicks 2 days ago and both had white excrement, so I put all the remaining chicks on electrolyte water and I mixed the normal feed with medicated feed (30% protein game bird starter mixed with 18% medicated chick feed)

I noticed a lot of diarrhea when we transfered the babies to a temporary holding while I cleaned out the brooder.

A little info:
20 chicks remaining, temp range from 85-75 and plenty of space, pic attached (everyone's a little sleepy right now)


Can anyone help me figure out what's going on and hopefully prevent more casualties?

Are you using a heat lamp as well as a heat plate? or is that just a low wattage red light bulb?

 

[FauxintheCoop]

Are you using a heat lamp as well as a heat plate? or is that just a low wattage red light bulb?

They have both a heat lamp and plate, I had to move the lamp out of the cage because it was getting up to 100 in there last week, now we're closer to 85 on the warm end, with 75 on the lower side

 

[007Sean]

They have both a heat lamp and plate, I had to move the lamp out of the cage because it was getting up to 100 in there last week, now we're closer to 85 on the warm end, with 75 on the lower side

That's what I thought. Judging by their feather development, I would lower the temp to around 80°F for the warm end of the brooder. One reason for the higher than what you normally have seen of the urates and urine(clear liquid) is because of the high heat. It isn't diarrhea, it's just their urine. This will be seen occasionally but if frequent, than there is something wrong with the health of the bird.
As far as the urate's, they appear normal to me. Sometimes they will pass only urates, or urate crystals in the droppings. If they are another color than white, (yellow, gray, or blood) then I'd worry about an infection or disease.