Help!!! Week old babies are dying!

[smvettechmom]

We hatched chicks last Friday and until then they’ve all been doing great. Tonight we found one dead and two that are not doing well. They have plenty of food and water, warmth and I put some chick booster in their water today but that is all that has changed. We are new to hatching our own but not new to chicks. Please help! One chick looks like it’s gasping for breath.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

It sounds like its too warm in your brooder. I'd change the water back to plain water for now. You don't have them on cedar chips/shavings do you?
your feed isn't moldy or smell off does it?
I see you say you are not new to chicks just hatching, but hatching wouldn't cause them to die a week after hatching. Something else is going on.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Check the temperature in your brooder. Important they have areas they can get away from heat if they need to.

 

[smvettechmom]

These chicks feel cold, but we have had chicks the same way for 8 years and never had a problem. These are the first that we hatched ourselves and didn’t buy from a store.

 

[smvettechmom]

Check the temperature in your brooder. Important they have areas they can get away from heat if they need to.

One just has audible very runny diarrhea...

 

[LadiesAndJane]

One just has audible very runny diarrhea...

What are you feeding them?
Have they been outdoors at all yet?
What is the temperature of your brooder? Should be around 90 degrees is they are one week old.
Is it free from drafts?

 

[smvettechmom]

What are you feeding them?
Have they been outdoors at all yet?
What is the temperature of your brooder? Should be around 90 degrees is they are one week old.
Is it free from drafts?

Yes free from drafts, in our bathroom currently. They have not been outdoors yet. Just normally we always feed medicated chick starter but my husband just told me that they were out so he has bought non medicated chick starter. I’ve got one back to looking decent , but the other one died. That one was the first born 8 days ago and very robust and healthy until tonight. We did notice her abdomen looked swollen and distended.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Yes free from drafts, in our bathroom currently. They have not been outdoors yet. Just normally we always feed medicated chick starter but my husband just told me that they were out so he has bought non medicated chick starter. I’ve got one back to looking decent , but the other one died. That one was the first born 8 days ago and very robust and healthy until tonight. We did notice her abdomen looked swollen and distended.

I am sorry for your loss. It almost sounds like they may have had some kind of infection or possibly something in the food with the swollen abdomen and the diarrhea. Hope the last one pulls through.

 

[Aapomp831]

I would treat them all with Corid for cocciadosis immediately. Medicated food does not prevent cocci 100%, it’s just meant to help them get started with immunity but it’s not foolproof. The runny diarrhea is a symptom of cocciadosis.