my 1 week chicks have runny poo and dirty butts

[Judy]

Unless the children's probiotics have sugar or artificial sweetener in them, I agree, should be fine.

 

[megaloo]

Great! I will give this to them in their food.
I was told to give them neomycin to prevent the chicks from developing cocci. Should I give them the proboitic WITH the neomycin or after?
Thanks you guys!

 

[threehorses]

No, PLEASE don't give neomycin to prevent cocci. Cocci isn't even a bacteria. /sigh I'm so sorry you were given bad advice on that one.

Cocci are protazoa. You keep the birds' environment clean and keep their good bacteria healthy to make a bad environment for bad bacteria and for cocci, which are a protazoa. But the only way to prevent cocci is a clean environment, a healthy system, and in chicks the use of amprolium medicated feed. Amprolium - never ever an antibiotic. Incidentally if you give an antibiotic, you're more likely to set your bird up for something like coccidiosis and other bacterial intestinal issues.

Antibiotics should only be given in the case of an **established** bacterial illness. Never to prevent. And then a lot of the things people think are bacterial infections are usually viral.

Whoever told you that advice, please try to teach them.

Just give a probiotic, keep them out of their poop and in a really dry environment bedding-wise, and if they're babies give them medicated (with amprolium only) food.