free range chick problems

[Terri O]

Hi all--I am going to try this post here because it is but isnt an emergency...
I have many broody hens that do most of my hatching for me. This year they are now on their second broods and I am suddenly having problems with the chicks. when they get to be about 2 weeks old suddenly one eye will stick shut, they stop eating and look and act lethargic. Then they die. I have never had this problem with hatched chicks before. I thought it was just a few weak ones at first but today there are 3 more that look affected. They are from different mamas too. All of them run loose on the farm and do their own thing. I did bring two in and gave them some
Vet Rx--they died within two days.
What do you think? Should I just let it run it's course or is there something I can do now or in the future? I would hate for this to become an ongoing thing...

Thanks for any help you can give! Terri O

 

[Terri O]

Anybody at all? T

 

[BooBear]

I never had one just die from an eye infection. There may be something else going on.
Can you provide more input? Any other odd symptoms that you notice appear out of the norm for your flock?
What does the chicks poo look like? Do you see anything odd about it?
Are they only getting what food they find from foraging or do you also provide feed to suppliment their free range diet?
Also, could be respitory:
Any signs of swelling?
Any signs of sneezing?
Any signs of coughing?
When the eye sticks shut is this the only symptom or do you notice any pimple like bumps and swelling? (ants or pox)
Fire ants can kill a wee chick by mobbing it while it is trying to rest.
Dry Pox is usually not deadly, but if they get the wet pox it can kill them.

It is so dog gone hot now that the heat alone can overstress the chicks and if the hens are not leading them to water enough they could overheat easy. Having multiply water stations in their forage areas can help reduce this.

If there is something else going on, combined with the heat it could be overwhelming their tiny bodys.

 

[Terri O]

Thanks for your response!
The birds are free to forage with the hens and some go into the coop at night. I have 7-10 areas where there is water for them all day long. In the morning there is more because of the hose running down the "stream" it makes. They get rolled corn, oats and BOSS thrown out and then game bird (22%) under the quail cages in the morning when I dump the quail feeders. They have laying mash accessible in the coop and the barn all the time.
I first notice when they have a problem because they cheep really loud looking for their mamas. I dont know if it is because by then they have a swollen shut eye or not. It seems like by then it is already too late. I never see them acting weird or anything before I hear them alarming. I cant discern the poo from any other chick or chicken as they are all together roaming about.
This is hitting them when they are feathered on the wings but not the body...2-3 weeks? I have not had the problem in the chicks I have penned nor the ones in the brooder. I am wondering if it is just the heat or is it something in the soil...and then why did it not infect the first batch? The waterfowl are not affected at all so far.

Is there a disease that lives in hot and dry conditions in the soil? THis is the first time in over 25 years that I have had any problems with broody raised chicks! I am at a loss here!

Terri O

 

[BooBear]

I will bump incase someone with more experience can help as this sounds out of anything I have dealt with.

The heat is a factor as it will compound on any existing ailment that would add more stress to them.
Then again chickens are known for dying from stress alone.
Could they be having heat strokes? Alot of states have been having record heat waves on top of drought across the States. Breeds that do better in cold climates have a harder time when it gets this hot.

The only thing I can think of is getting someone to do blood work and autopsy on them to figure out what is going on.
Sorry I could not be much more help.
Hope the rest stay healthy and you do not get anymore losses.

 

[TeamChaos]

I do NOT have more experience, but I thought I'd offer up what I'm seeing in my free range flock. We've got a really bad drought situation here in SW WI and it has brought the wild birds out in full force. My chickens are having a lot more "Face time" with the dirty birdies and cross traffic at the feed and water stations means more cross contamination. I've had more illness and junk in my flock than ever and I was so confused- prior to this, we'd occasionally have a round of sickness if it had been exceptionally wet so I was not sure why hot/dry would flare anything.... until I saw the droves of wild birds that were taking advantage of the situation. Any chance the second batch of babies has been exposed to a wild bird illness that the first crew missed out on?

 

[rmasimpson]

Greetings! I no this is an older post, but I was wondering whatever happened to your chicks if you found a solution or not. I am having some problems with my baby chicks but it's a little bit different. They are having pasty butt and also having problems walking. A guy at the local feed store said they could be contaminated from mice or birds eating or drinking out of their containers and pooping in there. he recommended a broad spectrum antibiotic and medicated chick food which I was not giving them, so I am starting on that today.

 

[Terri O]

I was just going through old stuff and saw this...whatever it was it ran it's course. I have had no problems this year (knock on wood) so far. THe thing with the wild birds could definitely have had something to do with it. TerriO