My chicks are dying off! Help!

[csaylorchickens]

I just noticed my chick today trying I crow with it's neck extended and was thinking wth? Bu she is the head hen and I think getting mad at the little one tryin to run the roost haha

But one of my chicks always has runny poop but not that bad. All the others have solid poop should I be worried?

 

[fanmer36]

All the poo is normal. But I've been really watching my one thay is crowing. I dunno if I can attach a video but I'll try. She's acting sleepy and lethargic now :/

 

[jessdgraham]

I'm down to two out of ten that I purchased. I took away the vitamin water, mixed Corid with their water with the preventative dose just in case that's what it was, and reduced the heat from using a heat lamp to a regular 100 watt light bulb. I'm just waitin for these two to die any day. They have not grown at all since we got them. Still super tiny! And they are keeping pasty butt now, but I feel like every time I clean one up the next day I find it dead so I'm alittle scared to clean them up.

 

[newmarch2014]

Awww I am sorry you have lost so many. The pasty butt has to be cleaned off or they will definitely die. You are having a tough first go of it but don't give up. If you decide to replenish and get some more make sure to bleach everything before hand and then rinse well and let it all dry before introducing new chicks.
I do start the first couple days with a dilluted amount of chick electrolytes but then I stop that and just go with water and chick feed for a few days before any treats or anything. I treat for Cocci like I said as soon as I suspect it may be a problem. 90 degrees available but also 80available if they need to cool off for their first week then decrease by 5 degrees in the hot zone each week. You may have just got a bad stressed or sick batch of chicks and it could have been nothing you did wrong.

 

[jessdgraham]

Could it be the Breeds by chance? Maybe just bred down to much? There were 5 Cochin and five Easter eggers. I'm down to one each I just wonder if those specialty breeds are bred down so much that it could mess up their immune systems

 

[newmarch2014]

Well Easter Eggers are just mutts (no offense I have 2 that I added to my flock this year) so that shouldn't be a problem. Mine are healthy and obnoxiously vigorous. But it could be a problem with the batch itself. Exposed to something, too stressed early on, etc. Sometimes it is just a high death rate for some shipments.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I agree with newmarch, it could just be the batch that wasn't vigorous. I'd contact the person/hatchery you got them from. Losing more than one or two from an unknown cause is a good time to get a necropsy.
IMO, most people try to keep the chicks too warm. While vitamins aren't a bad idea, it's easy to overdo it. If mine seem to need a boost they get a bit of vitamins in the water for a day. Providing it every day isn't a good idea. The chick starter has all the vitamins, minerals, fats, amino acids and energy in the proper ratio that chicks are known to need.

Probiotics are a good idea as well. That tends to prevent pasted vent, helps digestion and helps against intestinal pathogens.
Never be wary of removing the paste over. If it isn't removed, they will die.