HELP QUICK please

[ESofVA]

That has to be the craziest thing I've ever heard. Who told you that? Healthy birds do not need antibiotics, not ever.

Giving antibiotics regularly is, to put is bluntly, just NUTS. Anyone who recommended that should be horsewhipped, IMO. Take them off that IMMEDIATELY.

It is probably cocci, which is common in chicks 4-8 weeks of age. Treat with CORID, the same med in medicated feed but at a higher concentration. Once they have cocci, the feed WILL NOT TREAT it. In fact, medicated feed does not guarantee they won't get it, either.

Coccidiosis is not caused by a bacteria, but a protozoan.

Corid is preferred over Sulmet. Sulmet is harder on their intestines, can actually make the bleeding continue longer, and is not effective against all types of cocci. Corid is concentrated amprolium, same med as in the chick starter, but at a higher dosage.

Prime cocci time is 4-8 weeks of age, but by age of 12 weeks, they are usually immune to the oocysts in the soil that cause it.

Cocci is very common and highly treatable if signs are caught early and Corid administered. If you plan to have chicks around, you need to keep a bottle of Corid on hand, however, the best preventative for cocci is to give chicks a dustbath with soil in the brooder the first week of life.

Broody hen-raised chicks rarely, if ever, get cocci. They pick in mom's poop (she's immune) and get bits of soil the first week of life while out with mom.

OK will get that med. I try to keep the things I need or might need on hand. I don't know how these chicks were hatched. but I expect from eggs. Yep, I know what Cocci are. I am wondering if the man I bought them from keeps his on the Tetra because I found out he was getting a lot of chicks at an auction in Delaware and bringing them in state. He did however get these for me out of PA. I found out about the auction after the fact.He does also raise chicks from his own flock. I will no longer be getting chicks from him but now I have to find someone that will sell me some chicks or chickens to either ship day olds or live close enough to pick up. I am burning all of the old bedding and will be burning everything they have been around and chloroxing everything that I don't burn, every day until they are well or have passed. No more dead so far today. Keeping my fingers crossed.
I normally would not have done such a thing as to start them on meds as a preventative measure, but I was getting "info from an established poultry breeder". Have also always heard to start them on med feed when they are young. These chicks aren't but about 2 weeks old! I went back and checked to make sure of their age.
Didn't get this from here...no access to anywhere there have been or are any other birds or any other animals for that matter. I always take care of baby chicks first and my chickens 2nd. That way I don't carry anything from the outside to the inside.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:

No, you got that from a propagator who is clueless about disease and apparently believes that antibiotics prevent disease. Not so. Remember, some diseases are viruses and antibiotics do not kill viruses, plus they don't change the carrier status of a bird who is already the carrier of a disease. It's an exercise in futility, a waste of money and a real detriment to the immune system of a chicken to keep it on daily antibiotics "just in case".

Anyone who is in the habit of keeping birds on antibiotics is someone I would steer clear of because that tells me that person already has sick birds he is trying to keep from showing symptoms so he can sell them to unsuspecting buyers.

By the way, bleach does not kill the oocysts that cause coccidiosis. Ammonia does. However, they will get them from the soil so just clean your coop, feeder and waterers and start fresh on the inside. The outside you can't really do anything about. Eventually, the chicks develop immunity, and they do it just as well on non-medicated feed, I've found. Best thing to do to prevent cocci is put dirt in the brooder the first few days of life. Broody-raised chicks just don't seem to get cocci because they are out and about sooner than brooder raised chicks and peck in mama's poop for a natural inoculation.

 

[ESofVA]

From the inside where the chicks are, I burned the box and bedding. I had thought Chlorox would kill oocysts on/in food and water containers...so ammonia it is!! TY! I am not treating anything outside because the chicks/chickens (all older) out there haven't been exposed to the sick chicks and are fine.
As of this evening, no more dead chicks...still have 3...will update in the am.

 

[Leslieb118]

Good luck!

 

[petyanca]

Did you give them Corid ? Tractor Supply sells it cheap.

 

[ESofVA]

24 hrs and no more dead chicks

 

[speckledhen]

Good!

Believe it or not, some breeders want to raise birds who are naturally resistant to coccidiosis, therefore, they never treat for it and let die the ones that die. The ones who never show signs when others are dying are the type birds they want. Sounds harsh to most BYC folks, but it's true that many birds are more resistant than others.