Need Help!!

[Aves]

I initially purchased 4 chicks 3 weeks ago. One died within 24 hours and will be replaced by breeder with an older chick at a later time, the 3 remaining chciks were doing well, one was a little smaller than the other two and the tails feathers were not coming in, loose stool. Yesterday, it's wings started to droop, lack of appetite, and today listless, and finally death. Could this be coccidiosis? I think the other 2 are breathing a little harder than normal. Would it hurt to put a sulfmethazine antiobiotic in their drinking water for a week as a "just in case" scenario. I don't want to lose any more!! They were on vitmain water and medicated starter feed, but then I read that vitamin water could inhibit the medicine in the feed from helping to build immunity to cocci, so I took them off the vit water today. Please give advice.

Thanks

Aves

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

Very well could be cocci from what you discribe. Is there blood in the poo? I personally would start them on some Sulmet or similar antibiotic. Cocci works fast so you have to get right on it.

 

[farmin'chick]

It COULD be coccidiosis, but usually you see a bloody stool with that. Is the brooder you put them in new, or immaculate? Are you controlling the temperatures appropriately for the chicks? Are they where they could get damp or in a draft? What are you feeding them? If you are using a medicated chick starter, it SHOULDN'T be coccidiosis--that's what the medication is for. Are you giving them plenty of fresh water in clean vessels? Are they inside, or outside, and what are your temperature fluctuations?

You see, it's hard to just give a quick answer to your question without more information.

ETA: What type of bedding are you using in the brooder?