Emergency! Chickens keep dieing!

[JustTryingToHellMyParents]

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) Silkies, they are like 3 or 4 months old and im unsure on weight
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Well for the past 2 they were fine one day then dead the next morning, the other one is on its death bed: not drinking, eating only when food is infront of it, unable to stand. And finally our silkie roo is just fine but the other 2 hens have died and the final hen is on her death bef it seems
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?: for the two that randomly died, none. For the one thats dieing, a few days
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? Nope, our 3 non silkies have been fine and theyre right next to the silkies, and the silkie roo has also been fine
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. Not that I can tell
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. No clue, i know nothing about chickens, this was my parents decision.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. Chicken feed, idk what it is but it smells like apples and then just normal tap water
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. Normal
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Disposing of bodies, unsure of what to do for the dieing one
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?: id like to stabilize till we can get it to a vet as my parents are pretty decently in debt but spend every penny they earn (mostly on uneeded things)
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use: will show in attached picture

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Silkies, they are like 3 or 4 months old

Please tell us what temperature the brooder is.

Are they 3-4 months old?
If you are still providing heat at that age, then likely they are too hot.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My parents are brand new to this got them cuz they were cute and then basically gave me the responsibility to take care of them even when I said we shouldnt have chickens. I dont know what temp its at nor do I have a thermometer for it so ill just unplug the lamp

Can you please get some more photos of the chicks without the red light?
Photos of the brooder set-up, their feed, etc.?

Please clarify their age - it's important.
Are you feeding anything else besides chick starter? If you are, do they have grit?

Where are you planning on keeping these birds - do you have an outside coop/run?

Where are you located in the world?

Hopefully we can help you once we get a little more info.

 

[Jory]

If I understand correctly, your parents are actually not allowed to have chickens. If they can never be seen in the yard they plan to keep them in the basement forever?

This can be done but, it requires a huge commitment to the birds.

They need a pen, a big pen that supplies no less than 10 square feet per bird. I wouldn't go any smaller than 10 x15 feet inside.
They will need cleaned daily, toys and habitat enrichment items.
They will need proper humidity. Most basements are too damp or too dry.
They need sunlight for proper metabolic function. With no sunlight, then reptile UVB bulbs will have to be used and changed often. They often quit making UVB before the bulb burns out.

If that basement isn't cheerful and pleasant enough for you to live in, those animals aren't going to do well either.

 

[NatJ]

For checking the temperature, any thermometer will do, it doesn't have to be fancy. Just the type you use for yourself when you are sick is fine.

Or borrow a thermometer from the kitchen, or from an aquarium, or one that is used to check outdoor temperatures. Many hobbies require checking temperatures, so think about whether someone in the house has a thermometer for any purpose.

 

[Chicalina]

Please tell us what temperature the brooder is.

Are they 3-4 months old?
If you are still providing heat at that age, then likely they are too hot.

I was going to say the exact same thing when I saw the red brooder lamp.

Do you have a thermometer you can put under the heat lamp to take a reading and then also in the coldest area? That will help to diagnose if they've died from heat exhaustion. Then turn the heat off!!!!

How many chickens do you have in the brooder and what does it measure in size? You may have too little space for them as they grow and for them to find a cool spot if you have a heat lamp on.

If they are indoors in normal room temperature then they shouldn't need any extra heat now. You can even put them outdoors if it's sunny for a few hours if you have a safe area/run for them. They should be fully feathered now.

What do your parents know about raising chicks? Are they experienced chicken keepers or new to this?

 

[JustTryingToHellMyParents]

I was going to say the exact same thing when I saw the red brooder lamp.

Do you have a thermometer you can put under the heat lamp to take a reading and then also in the coldest area? That will help to diagnose if they've died from heat exhaustion. Then turn the heat off!!!!

How many chickens do you have in the brooder and what does it measure in size? You may have too little space for them as they grow and for them to find a cool spot if you have a heat lamp on.

If they are indoors in normal room temperature then they shouldn't need any extra heat now. You can even put them outdoors if it's sunny for a few hours if you have a safe area/run for them. They should be fully feathered now.

What do your parents know about raising chicks? Are they experienced chicken keepers or new to this?

My parents are brand new to this got them cuz they were cute and then basically gave me the responsibility to take care of them even when I said we shouldnt have chickens. I dont know what temp its at nor do I have a thermometer for it so ill just unplug the lamp

 

[Chicalina]

This makes me really sad. Nobody should get a pet of any type just because they are cute. What happens when they grow up and stop being cute? They are hard work and need taking care of.

Not your fault, you seem to be landed with the work and worry by adults who should know better.

I would urge you to find new homes for these chickens, the ones that survive anyway. How many are still alive?

For checking the temperature, any thermometer will do, it doesn't have to be fancy. Just the type you use for yourself when you are sick is fine.

When did you get the chicks exactly? And how old were they when you got them? This will help to identify their age.

 

[Goosebaby]

I feel for you, my parents were/are the same way. They buy pets on a whim and are bored with them a day later, and it falls on me to be their sole caretaker.

 

[JustTryingToHellMyParents]

Thank you for answering as many questions as you could in advance, it’s a lot of help when people do.

There’s two important questions that may help us if you can answer them though.
what feed specifically are they eating, what brand name does it say on the bag and what type does it say it is? For example does it say it’s for layers, does it say it’s Start, grower, or raiser, is it medicated or non medicated? These details can help a lot.

Is the wood shavings pine or cedar? Cedar oils can be lethal.

So its aspen bedding and the feed is naturewise chick starter grower