need help with sick baby chicks

[rwalz]

I had got some chicks last week from a hatchery and upon arrival one of them was dizzy spinning around. I am feeding them purina medicated chick starter. Cleaning their water every morning and night. I lost the first one the next day and now I've lost the 4th one. They start out good and then they look dizzy, spinning around. Anyone one have any idea about what they might have or what is going on??

 

[jbs]

Someone else with more experience will chime in, but were your chicks shipped or did you pick them up? Are they eating and drinking? I recently had some chicks die in shipping, mine were apparently shipped with too few chicks to keep warm. Other than that, i think the main reason chicks get sick is if they don't start eating right away. I'm not much help, but good luck. I know how hard it is to lose chicks.

 

[rwalz]

I had ordered 25 blues and 28 buffs. they were shipped seperate and I kept them seperated. It has been a week and the blues are doing great. All of the buffs look good but they are getting this spinning syndrome one by one.4 out of 28 have developed this. Not sure whats going on.

 

[jbs]

Wow, sorry. I think there are some neurological disorders that can cause that sort of spinning in chicks - crook neck or wry neck? I'm pretty new and have never experienced it so don't want to give you bad advice, but I think you treat with vitamin supplements. I hope someone who has experience with this responds soon. Good luck!

 

[jak2002003]

Maybe its a genetic problem.

Just keep them clean, warm, and fresh food and water every day.

Thats all about all you can do.

Chicks are very hardy and if you do all that then its over to them - good luck!

Also phone the hatchery you order from and let them know whats is happening. That will help them see if there is a problem with that strain of chickens they are hatching, and also you may get money back or new chicks to replace the ones that died.

 

[FarmGirl01]

If everyone is eating, drinking, clean bottoms and a warm place, not really sure what else you can do. Shipping is hard on the babies. Do you know the temp in the brooder?

 

[rwalz]

Every chick is eating and drinking .Their bottoms are a bit yuckie, not bad though. Maybe I'll try some electrolites and vitamins in their water.I have a homemade brooder made from a 50gal plastic container w/ a hole cut out on top with wire covering it ,and a 40 watt bulb pointing down on them. There are 25 of them in there so I know they are warm. I'm waiting for the hatchery to call me back. I'm just stumped, I wish I knew what was going on with them.

 

[rwalz]

I just went to the feed store and they recomended antibotics to put in the water. They said that should help them more than the eletrolites w/vitamins. So we'll see !
OH NO! now I just got off of the phone w/the hatchery and they said that they have a vitamin deficiency. I spoke with the manager and she decribed their symtoms to a tee. So now what do I do ?
She told me not to give them the antibotics ,she told me to give them the electrolites w/vitamins.

 

[jbs]

If you have an electrolyte mix, i'd definitely give them that, it has vitamins in it (vitamin B seems to be important), and can't hurt. I'd give them hardboiled egg too if they'll eat it. There are a number ofposts on BYC about crook neck, and people treat with different amounts of vitamin B and E, some give antibiotics too. This thread has tons of info, maybe you could PM someone for further help:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97121/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck

 

[rwalz]

jbs, Thank you SOOOOOOO much for your help, I will read the thread that you sent me. I called a different feed store and he knew his stuff, he recomended "sav-A-chick", this stuff looks goods. I googled it,and am I'm going to get some of it right now. you should check it out. thank you so much for your help I really appreciate it.