Droopy heads, lack of appetite & death..OREGON

[Holiday Angel]

We have lost 6 chickens since we recieved them on May 2nd. They seem to be droopy first, peep all night, start loosing their desire to eat and then drink and then die. They are clingie when this starts to happen. We have found no diarreia or odd droppings.
They are on 5 grain scratch and greens of sorts.
Does anyone know what to do? We have given the antibiotic's to no avail...
Blessings,
Pauline

 

[TundraChick]

are they chicks or adults?

might want to give them chick starter if they are chicks and layer fed if they are laying.

 

[speckledhen]

No real feed? Just scratch? As chicks, they need more nutrition than scratch, for starters. How old are they? Here is a link with lots of diagnostic tools for you to use. Match up the symptoms and see which things fit. If antibiotics haven't worked, its probably viral or protozoan.
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/extdis.htm

 

[Holiday Angel]

These are two months old and otherwise in good shape. We had them on starter and then began the scratch. If they need to go back to starter, how long do you leave them on it and what vitamins do you give?
These are Australorps and worthy of the cost. What else do we do? I read the chart and didn't see the illness related to the effects I see with the chickens.
Thank you for your responses!
Blessings,
Pauline

 

[dangerouschicken]

You have to feed them food. Scratch is like just snack. Maybe they don't have enough vitamins.....

 

[Holiday Angel]

What food do you feed them? I am used to old barn yard, run about chickens not the fancy breeds left in a pen.

 

[dangerouschicken]

It's okay. Everybody does it differently. We all just do trial and error. I killed my meat birds in 100 degree weather. We all have to find our own way. It's how we learn.

What I would do is get them back on Start and Grow until 12-16 weeks of age. Don't feed them anything else until they seem good and strong. You can switch them to Flockraiser after that, or keep them on Starter until you get your first eggs, switch them to Layena.

I hope it helps! Sorry you lost some little ones. Remember, we are all learners and it is a learning process.

Good luck, okay????

 

[Holiday Angel]

Bless your heart, thank you. I was wondering if that may just be the answer. Guess I ought to post that on my blog for others to see so they don't take their babies off too soon.
I will do this...
Huge blessings,
Pauline

 

[dangerouschicken]

If it doesn't work within a week, you will know something more is wrong (some type of disease). Just keep the faith. I think they will be okay. You are a good chicken mama!

you can recover little babies!

 

[Holiday Angel]

Thank you for the kindness I will make sure I post this and start feeding my babies the right food. I am glad they are not human babies, I would go to jail!!!
Hugs,
Pauline