Mystery illness! Please help

[rasbear]

a couple days ago I noticed a couple of my chicks acting funny. They were lethargic and their crops seemed very distended. Also they looked like they had really bad diarrhea and their butts were scabby looking (I'm guessing irritation from diarreah?). I noticed this all before their evening feeding, but as they are free range I thought maybe the distended crop was because they had eaten a lot of grass or bugs and were very full. I came out the next morning and one was dead, and the other was just laying in the tractor. I picked it up, noticed the crop was still distended, and it started expelling the contents of the crop through its mouth. It was a brownish watery liquid. I tried to keep its airpipe clear while this was happening, but within 10 minutes it was dead also. I then noticed another chick with a very poopy and scabby butt and slightly distended crop. I isolated it, gave it water with apple cider vinegar, and have only been feeding it yogurt since yesterday. It looks a little better today, but it still seems to have diarreah. Does anyone know what could have caused this and if I'm treating it correctly?

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Sorry about your chicks. More information might help; how old are they, what diet, are they getting amprolium in their chick starter? Mary

 

[rasbear]

Welcome!  Sorry about your chicks.  More information might help;  how old are they,  what diet,  are they getting amprolium in their chick starter?  Mary

They are about 3 weeks old, get fed grower/finisher from tractor supply (plus whatever they eat free ranging)

 

[Folly's place]

Are they eating medicated chick starter? If not, maybe coccidiosis. Get a fecal checked at your veterinarian, or start them on Corid. They are young to be out , depending on ambient temperature. Are they getting chilled too? Mary