one week old broilers HELP!!!

[Bnreimer]

Oh dear what have I got myself into.

This is my first go with broilers. I lost one on arrival and then a 2 more at night time. Since have learned that they need dim light all day and night to stop them from smothering. I have not lost anymore since.

Since day one they have had the pasty butt. I clean them and it keeps coming back. One is so constipated that I even did a manual evac of her poop. ( I used to be a veterinary technician)

I cant get the diarrhea to stop. I dont want to give antibiotics because I really want natural birds. Am i being stupid? Should I just give it to them regardlss?

They are being kept in a insulated room in a garage. They have two heat lamps. The temp is 80 degrees at the furthest corner of the brooder. Its large, they have lots of room. They are on shavings. Two waters, two feeders. I am giving vitamins and minerals.

And then tonight i heard a couple sneezing~

HELP!!!!

 

[Summerlove]

What kind of shavings? Cedar is toxic, and I have heard of people having respiratory issues on pine if it is too fine? Have you tried unpasteurized apple cider vinegar?

 

[Bnreimer]

I havent tried the apple cider vinegar. Do I put in the water?


The shavings are pine, I believe. I will check.

 

[wolfwhyte]

Usually meat chicks are very healthy except for legs problems when they get older, I am surprised to hear all the problems you are having with them.

 

[mmktdox]

I've always put my broiler chicks on pine shavings with no issues. Make sure they have enough heat, sounds like the smothering issue is actually them trying to keep warm. How many do you have and how much space do they have? AVC in their water will help the pasty butt, it should pass in a day or two tops. But they will always have runny poop unless you want to start feeding fermented feed. Keep them warm and fed and they'll should be alright. Check out the Meat Birds ETC forum for more tips and tricks about meat birds and fermenting feed etc. I've never done it but many have had great success with it. Also check out this link: http://www.freyshatchery.com/CareComfort.shtml

 

[Summerlove]

I havent tried the apple cider vinegar. Do I put in the water?


The shavings are pine, I believe. I will check.

Yes put it in the water. Unpasturized with mother is the best, but if you can't get it the stuff you have in your fridge is o.k.

 

[missnu01]

A few of mine sneeze, but none have had pasty butt...one leghorn and one buff orpington seems to get it chronically. Speaking of which I am going to go add some vinegar to everyone's water real quick while I am thinking of it. I got 10 from the feed store on the 6th. None have had any issue...other than some sneezing. No smothering or pasty behinds...None of them seem sick even though they do sneeze a few times a day. I'm hoping it's nothing. I did have all 26 chicks together, but the meat birds grow so fast they were running everyone else out of room...so they are now in the brooder that the Pekin Ducks were in before we moved them to an outdoor brooder. The meaties will be going out as soon as I get some hay to fill in the other section of the brooder. The dimensions are 4ft by 4 ft and 2 ft high, and then we split that into 2 sections. So now it is 4x2x2. More than enough room for everyone right now. Especially since one of my meat birds seems to have morphed into a smaller faster feathering chick that looks more like my leghorn chicks...Not sure how that happened. Anyway, 9 meat birds for sure...and one extra small white chick in the larger brooder with the other chicks.
I've been pretty nervous about having dead chicks or something because people say they lose a few...but everyone is doing great so far.