I lost 5 silkie chicks and 5 Polish in a period of 1 week

[Madmagic]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I'm so sorry that it is under such sad circumstances that you have joined us. Losing so many chicks like that is heart breaking.
I'm a little confused because it sounded like they were just very young chicks but clearly not from the photos.
How old were they and where did you get them from?
Did they all come from the same source? ie. a hatchery or a breeder and if the latter, the same breeder or different ones?
How long had you had them when they became ill?
What did their poop look like when they became ill?
Did you try treating them for Coccidiosis with Corid?
Were they vaccinated for Marek's disease?

There are two main killers of chicks, disease wise.... Coccidiosis and Marek's disease. It may be something else but when you get a number of deaths it is often one of these two.

Before you start again you really need to figure out what the problem is. You have not included your location on your profile page. If you are in the states then getting a necropsy done on the most recently deceased chick at your state veterinary diagnostics lab would be the sensible thing to do. State labs are often subsidised so it may be relatively inexpensive or even free in one or two states, so well worth enquiring. If you give us an idea of where you live, we can dig out some information for you.

If you do decide to start again, a Mamma Heating Pad is a much healthier and more natural way to brood chicks than a light bulb, especially a normal one. Being under light day and night can be stressful for their bodies and does not prepare them for the real world. A Mamma Heating Pad creates a warm cave with a heat pad and a simple wire structure to support it and emulates a broody hen so that the chicks run under it to get warmed up. It is dark under there so they get used to day and night as they naturally would and only a very small part of the brooder is heated. This is much more healthy and safer than a heat lamp. There is a very long thread by @Blooie about making one and using it.

three days in and they became sick, 4 days later they were gone. i want to start fresh

 

[Madmagic]

Ah so they aren’t day olds

those are not, i lost the day olds

 

[rebrascora]

You really need to give more information in order for us to help you? I asked a lot of questions and got a very limited response.
Are you saying that you had only had the birds 3 days when they showed signs of being sick and they died the next day?
How old were they and where did they come from?
Did you collect them or were they sent in the post? Did you ensure that they were all eating and drinking when you got them?
What type of bulb are you using? Shatter proof bulbs are coated with Teflon which gives off toxic fumes when it gets warm and will kill chicks so that may be the issue.... another good reason to use a Mamma Heating Pad.
Have you also lost day old chicks? If so, was that at the same time or weeks/months/years ago?

Please give responses to all questions so that we can understand what is going on and try to help you figure this out.

 

[Madmagic]

1. 3 days after i got them they started showing signs of being sick
2. they were eating just fine when i received them
3. they were day olds when i got them
4. i'm not sure about the type of bulb but its a regular bulb i got from the stores
5. the incidence was last week Monday
6. I raised the 6 month olds myself from day olds and i was successful
7. they were all from the same source

i don't live in the States or Europe, i live in Africa, Nigeria to be precise so i got them from a local breeder as all efforts to import them failed

 

[Kiki]

Coccidiosis.
Get some Corid and keep it on hand for all future new to you birds.

Corid Liquid

• Kiki
• Apr 16, 2018

Corid Powder

• Kiki
• Apr 16, 2018

 

[rebrascora]

So, they are very young chicks under 2 weeks old so that rules out Marek's disease. Coccidiosis or shipping stress would be the two most likely causes if they died relatively soon after you got them. I agree that getting some form of Amprolium product like Corid or Amprol or Harker's Coxoid to treat for Coccidiosis would be the most likely effective medicine. I do not know what would be available in Nigeria. It might be available in the cattle section of an agricultural feed store or possibly online if you have that option or from a vet but that would be the most expensive route. Did you mix the new chicks with other older chicks straight away or put them on soil/dirt as that would be the likely cause of Coccidiosis

 

[Madmagic]

no i did not mix them with others, and i didnt put them out on the soil i would however get the amprolium it is available then try out again with new chicks.... Thank you very much.