HELP please! Weak peachicks and 1 has died

[casportpony]

How did their navels look after hatching? If you're still in Illinois, you could contact these people and see about having a necropsy done.
http://www.agr.state.il.us/AnimalHW/labs/
http://vetmed.illinois.edu/vdl/

-Kathy

 

[amsunshine]

3 of the 4 had good, closed navels. The other one evidently had bled some, but that healed and had formed a scab. Good info on the necropsy...I'm in KS now and wonder where I could get one done here.

 

[zazouse]

It may have been the shavings, if they were ok till you put them in I suspect they ingested some when you first put them down, sence they had no access to grit they would not be able to digest them and just a thought, you could open one of them up and see what was going on in the crop and gizzard if you are able to do it.

 

[zazouse]

Yes peas are delicate and can be very difficult to figure out what is wrong with them before they pass away in just a day or two after you notice them ill.
Most all of us here have had to deal with it one time er another.

 

[casportpony]

3 of the 4 had good, closed navels. The other one evidently had bled some, but that healed and had formed a scab. Good info on the necropsy...I'm in KS now and wonder where I could get one done here.

http://www.vet.k-state.edu/depts/dmp/service/

And this is a thread I did on how to send them:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/799747/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures

-Kathy

 

[amsunshine]

Thank you Kathy. Very much appreciated.

 

[amsunshine]

Have chick bodies in refrig now pending either dissection or necropsy. But we still have these...also have a blue cock. The two babies were hatched out under the other hen. Babies are in back of picture. By when do they start getting their adult coloring, or can I conclude that these two babies are both hens? Babies are 9 weeks old if I'm counting right.

 

[zazouse]

this fella hatched out may 23 this year , this photo was taken a on 9/9 . I noticed this week he is now getting some blue feathers mixed in with the green.

 

[amsunshine]

So good to know--too early to tell then. I can't wait to find out what they are. Thank you for the post and the picture.

 

[AugeredIn]

Given the way they all died, I would suggest the carpet or something else in the brooder introduced a toxin or parasite. Peas are hard, but not that hard.

We rarely lose peas after the first few days. All of them are on medicated starter. None of our peas really gets grit until they hit the ground and they are getting pellet food before they hit the ground. I think your problem lies elsewhere. I don't think it necessarily hurt them but we are HUGE proponents of no food but chick starter or layer pellets until three or four months. They may get a freshly cut watermelon or cantaloupe but that is it. NO scratch or other foods. I don't want any possible contamination, worms or parasites. The wife and daughter frequently violate this rule with well scrambled eggs. Our theory is why introduce possible issues during the critical age?