New to Peachicks

[Expladv]

Hello, I'm new to forum and new to peachicks. I've read lots of helpful posts on this site and am looking for advice on my new flock (9 days old). I have them raised with 11 guinea keets and 4 chicks although I separated the chicks yesterday into a separate brooder.

For background, I started with five peachicks, but one died on Wednesday afternoon. It got pasted up, failed to thrive, did not grow and appeared to be starving itself even though I know it had learned to eat and drink. I have been doing all the recommended steps of cider vinegar, greens clippings, electrolytes, etc. I spoon fed it some mash made with honey water and it seems to rally wednesday morning, but died that afternoon. I had moved them off the medicated food because I learned from this site that amprol can block thiamine.

The other chicks seem to be OK. I cleaned several keets that had pasty butt wednesday night and none have had it before or since. One of the peachicks (the pied one in pick). Had some pasty butt Thursday morning, I cleaned it and it's been mostly clear since. Since the remaining birds seem healthy and full of vigor, I moved them back to the medicated chick crumble because I can't figure out how to access other recommended medicines (metronidazole, baytril, safeguard, etc.) because no vets will talk to me unless they see the birds, but I'm afraid to unnecessarily transport them and stress them by being away from their brooder. Everyone seems to be generally OK, but I'm not sure if some of the runny poops are cause for concern. Can you with more experience let me know what you think of the photos? First one of the cute pied guy and his/her buddy and then next of its poop yesterday and it's poop today. Are they in the realm of normal or cause for concern?

Thank you!
Sarah

 

[Midnightman14]

Don't bother with the ACV it doesn't do anything anyways.

 

[Expladv]

Don't bother with the ACV it doesn't do anything anyways.

What's ACV?

 

[Midnightman14]

apple cider vinegar.

 

[Expladv]

Ok. Phased that out on friday anyway. Alternating electrolytes and freshwater. Does the poop from the surviving chick look normal or would you recommend medication? If so, any suggestions on how to obtain it.

 

[KsKingBee]

Well, you read it on the internet so it must be true.

One of the things we do is to apply triple ointment to the navel when we remove the chicks from the hatcher. They can easily get infections before a rough navel heals, not saying that is what happened but one of the precautions that has helped us with chick mortality.

We put vitamins and electrolytes in the water for the first four to six weeks, it can be found in any of the farm stores in the poultry section.

The chicks should be on medicated chick starter for the first four to six months because it takes that long to build immunity especially in incubated chicks that have not been with their momma on the ground since hatch. Do not offer them seeds or vegetable matter unless you have first supplied them with grit. Eating hard or stringy foods without grit in their system can impact and kill them.

The Amprolium in medicated feed is not enough to keep them alive or enough to make them resistant to coccidia. Our chicks get sulfadimethoxine five out of every fourteen days until freezing weather moves in. Once they hit the ground we start a regular deworming at four and expanding to six weeks.

Be careful in housing keets with peachicks, keets have a habit of begging for food by pecking on the beaks of larger birds. When they do it enough they can cause bleeding and then the keets turn into piranhas and can easily deform the peas for life.

 

[Expladv]

KsKingBee,
Thank you for the clear advice and the caution on the keets. Interesting info about the navel. I moved them back to the medicated feed last Wednesday and I am alternating electrolytes and fresh water. The medicated feed I have is only 16% protein so I've been giving them extra crushed meal worms and boiled eggs daily.

What is the recommended dosage for chicks (2 weeks old)? I found a 12.5% gal concentrate that is advertised for livestock with a dilution ratio of 1 gal 12.5% product in 200-400 gal of water, which I calculated out to a delivery percentage of 0.03-0.06% to the animals or 0.5-1 tsp concentrate per one-quart water dispenser or 2-4 tsp per one-gallon water dispenser. Does that sound right?

Does your routine do five days in a row then 9 days off or are they scattered in the 2 week period? I don't get hard freezes where I live in California, how long do you think I should medicate for?

Thanks again. I really appreciate your thoughtful reply!
Sarah

 

[Expladv]

Also, any advice on getting the prescription for the Sulfa med, @KsKingBee ?

 

[KsKingBee]

I use two teaspoons per gallon of water and yes, five days on and nine days off or thereabouts. I have the benefit of being able to do my own fecal exams so I can stretch that a bit if they are not showing any cocci, or very low cocci on the slides. Now that amount is for chicks that are on the ground, while still on wire or in the brooder you can reduce the amount by half.

 

[Expladv]

I have some sulfa med on the way. Now, I'm getting supplies ready for when they move outside. Do you have any recommendations for dewormer + doseage? I found several different variations:
Safe-guard Drench, 10% suspension Fenbendazole
Safe-guard multi-species pellets
Aristo-pet poultry wormer