Lost 2 of 11 Ideal chicks and 3 more look sick.

[chicken-tender]

I just lost 2 of 11 chicks I received from Ideal Poultry and 3 more look sick. Please note I only indicated where I got them because it took 36 hours to receive them thru the mail, not that I suspect any errors on Ideal's part. . They seemed healthy and happy when they arrived. We had fresh food and water with Stress-EZ in it ready for them. The Stress-EZ came with the chicks. They have been in the coop (first occupants) under a heat light and a heat pad hen. Temp during the days has been high (took heat lamp off during the day) around 85. nights mid sixties. Heat pad hen temp around 87-92 The chicks that died and the sick ones are unsteady on their feet, have their wings hanging down. All have been/ are eating and drinking. They seem to squat while eating but are definitely eating. There is no pasty butt, vents look normal as the other chicks do. They just died? Any ideas as to what to do would be appreciated. I am trying to contact Ideal for any ideas also. BYW chicks were hatched May 18th I think.

 

[Texasclucker]

Ideal should refund you try and give everyone sugar water for a little perk up just explain to them what happened

 

[chicken-tender]

Is sugar water better than the Stress-EZ? Thanks in advance.

 

[Texasclucker]

It just perks them up enough for them to maybe eat get some good food in them i would honestly use both that's a long drive for some little peeps

 

[chicken-tender]

Thanks, am going to try right now.

 

[Texasclucker]

Good I hope they get better soon

 

[rosemarythyme]

Too much heat. Remove the heat lamp, the heat pad IS the heat source and chicks need cool space to escape to when they're not warming up.

 

[chicken-tender]

Did that. Used heat lamp first night only. Have added sugar and made sure all nine remaining drank some. Have moved the 3 sick ones to a box with its own water, feed and HPH

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you can get Poultry Nutri-Drench, I would use that over sugar water. It has some of the same effect as it works as a quick pick-up, but also has additional vitamins in it, and supposedly is more readily absorbed by chicks than other similar vitamin mixes.

Directions for mixing into water are on the bottle, but you can also direct dose at full strength into the mouths of the sickest chicks to ensure they get some in their system. Safest to just do a drop or two on the lower beak and let them drink it down, as they can choke if you try to force it into their mouths.

I assume the Stress-EZ is an electrolyte mix? Or is it vitamins? What does it say on the package?

 

[chicken-tender]

Sorry I have been so long. I lost one more chick that was in the sick bay. The sugar water seems to have helped, one acts close to normal again.

I just got the Nutri-Drench from TSC and gave both the sick ones a couple of drops each. The both drank water by their self shortly there after. All water in both pens has been doctored to include the Nutri-Drench.

The stuff I was calling Stress-EZ is actually "Dawe's Streseez-Plus" that I got from Ideal Poultry with the chicks. It is "a concentrated nutritional supplement of vitamins plus electrolytes and trace minerals for use in drinking water or feed when animals are under stress." according to the package. Directions state to mix at one package to one gallon of water(128 oz) then 1 ounce of mix per gallon(128 oz) of water given to animals for 3 to 5 days.

May be too soon, but Thanks to Texasclucker and rosemarythyme for the prompt advice. and help.