Help! Sleepy Chicks Dying!

[sherpagirl]

My chicks are 5 weeks old, they have not been outside on the grass yet and have been eating medicated chick starter only. Their bedding is shavings which are very dry and clean. Fresh water everyday , electrolytes every other day. Last night I noticed one was very sleepy, I separated her out and she died. Now 2 more are sleepy, no other symptoms, poop a little watery. I've been reading old threads about sleepy chicks, seems everyone recommends treating for cocci. I'm pretty new to chickens and unfamiliar with medications. Doesn't the medication in the chick starter prevent cocci? The only store we have that has meds is Tractor Supply but the people in there never know anything about chicken medications, so, if I'm going to treat with something I really have to know what I'm looking for before I go. I have some Amprolium 20% powder, Denaguard liquid - 12.3% tiamulin (not sure the dosage for chickens but bought it in case I wanted to show) and I have tetracycline. I know that sleepy chicks means sick chicks and there is probably no way to know the cause. I would like to start a course of treatment for everything that could be wrong with them. I'm going to go to TS after I get an answer here and hopefully get all the supplies I need. Can someone tell me what to try first, then next, next, next? Thank-you so much, I don't want to lose these chicks.

Donna
Central NY

 

[Judy]

I don't know what is wrong but first thing I would do is stop the electrolytes, in case they are getting too much.

 

[kelar]

Get Sulmet or sulfadimethoxine to treat for cocci. I'd go with the sulmet since they've already been on medicated feed and you may have a type of cocci that is not affected by the corid/amprollium. Medicated feed does NOT prevent them from getting cocci.

 

[ranchhand]

These chicks haven't even been outside, I doubt they have been exposed to coccidia yet and they are on medicated starter.

What are the temps at chick level in the brooder? They should be at 70-75 F, with a cooler area to move to.

 

[sherpagirl]

It has been very hot out in the coop, especially the brooder coop. We made a screen door so they had plenty of ventilation, but temps were in the 90s last week. Very cool and rainy today. Most nights its been in the 60s so the brooder lamp has been back on at night, they still like laying under it (it's been moving up and up slowly). Could they be suffering from something caused by living in conditions that were too warm? I got them to eat some yogurt a few minutes ago. They seem to eat and drink but then they go puff up and sit falling asleep or tuck their heads under their wings. One of the sick ones has been my little "pest" and I knew something was wrong when she wasn't obsessed with perching on me anymore. They are definitely not right, but don't seem any worse....yet...

 

[seminolewind]

I would make sure they are not overheating and have ventilation.
Maybe it's just not a good year for chicks. Mine are 10 weeks old and I've lost 3 out of 10. It's never happened to me before.

 

[kelar]

Many breeders can attest to the fact that chicks can get cocci with absolutely NO exposure to the outdoors. I've seen it many times myself. I'd treat them symptomatically with the sulmet at this point since if it IS cocci, it will kill them quickly. It could be the heat or something else, but it sure won't hurt them to treat.

 

[sherpagirl]

Tried to get Sulmet today, no luck, may have to order. TS carries some for swine, is that the right thing? They were out of it but there is another TS in the opposite direction that I will try tomorrow, got too late to go tonight.

Thank-you for the suggestion.

 

[cochin123]

give them some 2% milk in there water and NO water for a day and if it is that is SHOULD go away

 

[kelar]

Sulmet is used for various livestock so that is probably the right stuff. The one I get is a liquid. You can also use sulfadimethoxine, which comes in a powder form - it's also a livestock med.