My chicks keep dying

[czmarie]

Hi there,

We recently got 7 chicks and 4 have died now, one by one. They act normal and then slowly get more lethargic. Their poop is brown, runny and smelly. They don’t want to use their legs. Then they will die. This is my first time with chicks and I’m so upset. We have a thermometer and keep the temp constant, change water twice a day and add probiotics and electrolytes, clean their brooder once a day. The lady I got them from said they are vaccinated for meraks. Any advice would be a appreciated. I’m desperate and chick #5 just started her diarrhea.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

So many questions. A picture of your setup would help.

 

[Banana01]

Are they eating solid chick starter feed? I don't know that daily probiotics and electrolytes are good to continue. The thick brown indicates their gut health contains the beneficial gut bacterias, but in a young chick maybe they shouldn't be producing so much. What are their crops like before bed? They should be full of solid food.

Make sure they have just plain water and their chick starter feed. I'm not great with advice for indoor setups, but I don't ever need to give my chicks anything other than their starter feed and water, they free range with their mom the rest.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Any blood or reddish tint in the poop? Are they eating medicated feed or have they been vaccinated against coccidiosis? That's probably one of the top killers of chicks and would usually show up with blood-tinged stools and lethargy.

Corid would be the proper treatment if that sounds like your symptoms: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ol-ampromed-the-correct-amprolium-dose.73341/

 

[gimmie birdies]

Are you using wood chips? Not a fan of wood chips.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Are you using wood chips? Not a fan of wood chips.

Out of curiosity, why's that?

I raised my 2nd and 3rd batches of chicks on wood chips and they grew up just fine like that.

 

[Ponypoor]

Hi there,

We recently got 7 chicks and 4 have died now, one by one. They act normal and then slowly get more lethargic. Their poop is brown, runny and smelly. They don’t want to use their legs. Then they will die. This is my first time with chicks and I’m so upset. We have a thermometer and keep the temp constant, change water twice a day and add probiotics and electrolytes, clean their brooder once a day. The lady I got them from said they are vaccinated for meraks. Any advice would be a appreciated. I’m desperate and chick #5 just started her diarrhea.

So sorry to hear about your wee ones.

Chicks are fairly easy usually, all they need is warmth, medicated chick starter (prevents coccidiosis) and water.

I bed on softwood shavings, use a heated brooder plate they can run under or sit on. I use a feeder and also throw down feed in the bedding that they can forage for, water is in a small chicken waterer.

If you can take a stool sample to a vet to check for coccidiosis that would be helpful.

Sure hope your wee ones start doing better.

 

[Sydney65]

Out of curiosity, why's that?

I raised my 2nd and 3rd batches of chicks on wood chips and they grew up just fine like that.

Sometimes they'll eat that instead of the food so they advise not using it the 1st week.

 

[Ponypoor]

Sometimes they'll eat that instead of the food so they advise not using it the 1st week.

Interesting, but I can see that, mine sure like picking at the horses bedding. But they seem to be thriving so guess they r ok.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sometimes they'll eat that instead of the food so they advise not using it the 1st week.

My chicks do pick at the floor (wood shavings, wood chips + various organic matter) but I've not had an issue with it. I do provide grit immediately when I get them. My wood chips are quite large so it's unlikely chicks would eat them, but I would agree that it's a good idea to get large chips and large wood shavings to discourage babies from eating too much of them.