One dead and two acting lethargic

[Nellie Rose]

When I first started keeping chickens I was in the same predicament - feed store was out of all-flock feed. It occurred to me to read the ingredients label on the chick crumbles. I was astonished to see that chick starter/grower had practically the exact same ingredients as all-flock. The only difference was the chick crumbles has a teeny bit less protein as all-flock. So I grabbed a bag of the chick crumbles and that's what my flock ate for the next few weeks.

Layer is not a good substitute, though you're correct, no harm will come to the chicks eating it for just a few days. You are probably already aware that chicks shouldn't have the high amounts of calcium in layer over the long term as it can result in kidney issues. Also, layer has much less protein than all-flock and chick starter, and chicks need the higher protein to build tissue and muscle and feathers.

Right, I don't know why I didn't think of grower while I was there, I feel foolish. But I figured it wouldn't hurt for a few days so I grabbed a smaller bag of layers.

Usually I feed all flock and suppliment with oyster shells for calcium.
I have been giving the chicks egg whites for more protein the last few days.

 

[Debbie292d]

Ok. They've been on layer feed less than a week. The feed store was out of all flock so I picked up a bag of layers to hold them over. They said they'd be getting a shipment in sometime this week. I usually always feed all flock because of my goose.

I really doubt it is the feed though, by how they've been acting and the poop stuck to them. I doubt theyd become nutritionally deficient after a day. Also the other two are acting completely normal and they are the younger ones.
I have rooster booster so I can add that to some feed.
I'll send someone to check the feed store today for all flock or growers feed. Thinking of it now I should have just gotten a bag of growers instead of layers, but for whatever reason it just hadn't crossed my mind.

I hope you get the grower/starter feed because THAT has more of what chicks that age need and nothing they don't (calcium for one thing). Other chickens can have that too, just they'd need calcium (oyster shell) in a separate dish. All chicks/chickens suffer a little when they aren't getting the feed intended for them, but silkies will be prone to it more.

 

[LaFleche]

Inspect your coop closely for poultry mites. It is the season where they suddenly explode in numbers and cause havoc leaving the birds anaemic in no time.

 

[Nellie Rose]

I hope you get the grower/starter feed because THAT has more of what chicks that age need and nothing they don't (calcium for one thing). Other chickens can have that too, just they'd need calcium (oyster shell) in a separate dish. All chicks/chickens suffer a little when they aren't getting the feed intended for them, but silkies will be prone to it more.

Thank you. It's only been 3 days since i started the layer feed. I don't think that's what's causing their sluggish behavior and stuck poop and it can't be what killed the first one since it passed Saturday night.
So I'm not sure, but I'll definitely be getting them back on all flock or at least growers within the next few days.

Inspect your coop closely for poultry mites. It is the season where they suddenly explode in numbers and cause havoc leaving the birds anaemic in no time.

I inspected the two silkies closely and didn't see any, but I will look through the coop today and check other birds just to be sure. I've dealt with them once before.


At this moment I am thinking it was the sudden heat, since they seemed a little more active this morning and it is much cooler today.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Could be the sudden heat.
A few days on layer feed is probably o.k., sometimes you have to use what you can get. Hopefully the feed store is back in stock with your normal feed.

Just for those reading in the future, when the store is out of your normal feed and you are faced with lots of choices (layer, grower, maintenance, etc.), imho, going with a Chick Starter is usually the best choice. It really can be fed to any age group, just provide oyster shell free choice for actively laying birds.

 

[Nellie Rose]

Just wanted to update.
All birds are back to normal and have been for a few days.
So either the corid kicked in and it was coccidiosis, or it was the heat. It's now warmed up again but I'm thinking they acclimated better this time.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Glad they are doing better! Thank you for the update