Slamoureux
In the Brooder
- May 12, 2021
- 9
- 16
- 31
Hi all,
Just got my first batch of 21 chicks at the beginning of April, and am absolutely loving them! I have the brooder set up in my entryway, they had a heat lamp with good temperature until this week when I weaned them off, and all was well.
So far, I have lost 5 babies, all very rapidly. In the morning when I leave for work they are happy, active, eating and drinking, by the time I get home from work they are acting a little lethargic, and by bedtime they’ve died. Two in the first week, one each in week 2,3, and now 4. No loose or bloody poops that I’ve seen, after the first 2 died I treated everyone for coccidiosis for a week anyway. They got only medicated chick feed until last week when we started giving them little bits of vegetables (and grit). The last 2 that died had the head shaking motion in the video above, though this one had much poorer balance than the other.
I am just at a loss! I live in (very) rural Canada, the nearest vet is over an hour away and they don’t specialize in chickens. Any thoughts or advice would be super appreciated, I’m just devastated my little guys are dying! And so fast I don’t even have a chance to intervene.