New Babies Tragedy?

leahNedward

Hatching
10 Years
Oct 26, 2009
2
0
7
Hi there, first, I'll answer the sticky post quesitons and then give some more description.

1) What type of bird , age and weight.
week-old feather footed bantam chicks

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
3 out of 25 so far - fatigued, not eating, slumping to one side and not wanting to stand. seem lethargic.

3) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
None

4) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
unknown

5) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
chick starter, fresh water, table scraps (veggies, but they got a little cooked lamb at one point).

6) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
unknown (cannot distinguish between birds), but nothing out of the ordinary.

7) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
we "dispatched" 2 and are hoping we can save the 3rd because we are tired of killing our new birds but not sure what else to do, in case they are infecting each other.

8 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
We would want to treat at home.

9) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
the look like sleeping birds.

10) Describe the housing/bedding in use
chicken wire suspended over newspaper - they are not suspended too high, so can peck through the wire at things that drop through -- food and feces.
They have heat lamp and a shaded area.

The chickens that were affected seemed to take dramatic turns almost overnight, going from normal activity to slumping over, acting unable to stand up. They seemed to favor one side and were reluctant ti drink and DID NOT eat. Though they would chirp at a loud volume when removed from cage, they did not make much physical protest.
One site we saw said Merricks. We're baffled because these chicks came to us brand new from a well regarded hatchery. We're not sure how disease could have been introduced. Could it have been the food scraps?

Thank you,
Leah and Edward
 
I'm not an expert but I don't think week old chicks should have veggies and lamb in their diets just yet. Do they have access to chick grit? They need that if they are going to eat anything besides chick starter. The grit helps them to grind up their food in the gizzard.

I would just give starter crumbles and water for at least a week or 2 more before introducing other foods. If they don't have chick grit make sure you buy some and sprinkle a little on their food everyday.

I hope the 3rd is going to be alright.

Did you get them vaccinated at the factory for Merricks?
 
My first thought is that they may have impacted crop from the treats.

Since they haven't been eating, if you feel their crop and it's full, that should tell us the answer.
 
Another idea.....what kind of heating arrangement do you have for them? They should be at around 90F now at a week old. Too much heat will kill them quickly.
 
Hey all, sorry for the delay. The chickens (2 of the 25) all recovered. The crops are full and the chicks are all healthy and active. Thanks for your comments!
 

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