Help!! Not sure if I a doing this right!

[DuncanA84]

Ok,
So I am having chicks dying. Both in my brooder and I have lost a couple of my older ones outside. This is my first year with chickens. I lost three of my week olds and then a 2 month old outside. At first I thought the ones inside was pasty butt. As that was what they had and I didn't catch it fast enough. The one outside was lethargic the past few days and then died. I didn't see any bloody poo until tonight in the baby brooder. Only see one little fresh pile and these are my babies I hatched out two weeks ago. We do not use medicated feed and had put dirt in the brooder to help. Yet, still dying. I had my husband go out and buy some Corid. We put into their water late Friday night. (last night). He will be cleaning the baby brooder out this Sat. The ones outside look fine, other then the one that died on me today. I was told it's coci (sp). I just thought id see more of a sign before now. Other then having a handful over the past month die on me.
Do I need to somehow sanitize the brooder? Or just put the clean straw and clean out once a week? My husband cleans it out and only does it weekly. Seeing as there isn't that many of them in there. We have guena fowl in with them too. I was told to dose them and the ones outside to cover everyone. How long do I need to dose? The instructions were confusing to me. I had to have my husband mi their water cause I didn't understand them. I thought I was told it was 1-2 talbespoons per gallon. Help me guys! I don't want to loose my flock or anymore babies. if they are on it now, have I caught it enough in time to save the youngest?

 

[DanasChicks]

First off, sorry for your loss. It's always difficult to loose a chick, hen or roo. I am by no means an expert, but as I understand coccidiosis is in some way or another all around. If a young chick is already stressed or weak, too cold or too hot, wet, etc...there are so many variables, the coccidiosis can present itself and take the young chicks quickly. If poopy butt goes unnoticed even for a day, it can take a chick. There are many factors to look at. Your outdoor chicks may have had poopy butt too, that went unnoticed. It's a bit more difficult to keep track of poopy butt on outdoor chicks that are running all around. Although poopy butt does not happen often in my brooder, it has happened on occasion and if I notice it, I clean them up right away and keep a close eye on the chicks for the next week. Changing the litter often helps too. Those little Chic-a-Dees can poop.

I do not understand what you mean by closing them up. If you hatched these chicks yourself, there would be not reason to quarantine them. Younger chicks are more susceptible to diseases. The older flock has already been exposed to various things and built up immunity.

I do not treat with medications anymore. In my experience, after purchasing this medication and that medication to treat this thing and that bug, more often than not, the sick chick, hen or what have you dies anyway. More importantly for me, most medications have an undetermined withdrawal period for eating the eggs which defeats the purpose of having them. While I do loose a chick here and there, the others build up a resistance to various bugs and things that chickens can get. I lean towards allowing nature to take it's course. I feed non medicated organic chick feed and my outdoor flock free range during the day and coop at night.

Others may have different experiences and can provide you with additional ideas. Each flock owner should do what works best for them. I hope you get some feedback that works for you and for now, I hope you have no additional losses.

Take care,