How to Raise Healthy Chicks

[MadelineintheMountains]

Hi!

So my partner and I started out with 7 chicks that we picked up from a local feed store 16 days ago. Unfortunately we had one die of unknown causes the first week and another die after two weeks from what seemed like brooder pneumonia. I know that it's common to lose a few chicks in the beginning but I just want to make sure I'm doing all I can to promote a healthy flock.

The flock is in a 180 gallon stock tank in a bathroom off our garage that is kept at 77 degrees. They have a brooder plate. We use large pine shavings (brand: flock party from mana pro). They have a dust bath made of peat moss, wood stove ash, cat nip, and construction sand.
Clean water and food/surrounding areas multiple times a day. No harsh cleaning products when cleaning the brooder/surrounding area. We use Purina medicated starter crumble with a mix of chick grit. We have also just started giving dandelions from outside along with fresh herbs Mint, Oregeno, Parsley, and Thyme every few days at the recommendation of articles promoting respiratory health in chicks. They also have the occasional crushed up dried meal worm.

We have had to use VetRX for some wheezing in 2 of the chicks. We had improvement with one but not the other.

Is there anything we're missing or could be doing better?? We're new to the chicken life and I just want to make sure I'm not doing something that's causing them to get sick. The chicks are all different breeds and range from two weeks old to 4 weeks old.

*Dust bath has since been removed and brooder reset with clean shavings*

TIA!

 

[mcdze]

quit putting all that crap in the brooder .. all you need is hay or grass, clean water, and chick starter for the first 4-5 weeks .. that said, feed store chicks can come from bad/over breeding and conditions, so if possible add some from a quality hatchery to you flock if you plan on breeding yourself ...

 

[DonyaQuick]

I've not raised a ton of chicks, but I wonder if you either have too many fine particulates or even may have introduced some kind of contaminant via the various things that have been added. The dust bath would be my first suspect, both because of the fine particulates in the wood ash (that stuff isn't great to breath) and because construction sand is somewhat notorious in the aquarium hobby for causing sickly tanks and fish deaths when used as a substrate due to contaminants. I would empty the brooder, start over with clean shavings, and not add anything else to the setup except the regular feed and water to see if that improves the respiratory symptoms.

 

[IvyBeans]

I've not raised a ton of chicks, but I wonder if you either have too many fine particulates or even may have introduced some kind of contaminant via the various things that have been added. The dust bath would be my first suspect, both because of the fine particulates in the wood ash (that stuff isn't great to breath) and because construction sand is somewhat notorious in the aquarium hobby for causing sickly tanks and fish deaths when used as a substrate due to contaminants. I would empty the brooder, start over with clean shavings, and not add anything else to the setup except the regular feed and water to see if that improves the respiratory symptoms.

Great answer. I’d go back to basics. I’d also put the chick grit in a separate container. Too much and it will make them sick if they’re eating it instead of food.

Just pine shavings, food and water until they’re feeling better.