Please help! 1 week old chicks dying

[aquaponics3712]

Please help.
I have 1 week old chicks and they are dying one by one. They seem fine, then one day they will seem a little more tired then the others, by the next morning they are dead. This morning I noticed one was in the corner alone and didn't go running over to the feed as I brought it in. So I picked it up and noticed it looked like it was having a hard time breathing (short, shallow breaths that took effort.) I brought it in the house to make sure it was warm enough and so that I could watch it. It fell asleep in my cupped hands. A few minutes later it seemed to be struggling, then threw its little head back, and then flopped over dead. Immediately bubbles came out of its nose and a little bit of liquid drained out of its nose.

I remembered the bubbles in the first chick that died this week as well.

Today is day 4 and the 4th baby to die. This one in my hands. I am so sad!

What should I do?!

My brooder heat lamp seems comfortable to all the chicks. I have Save-a-chick in the water. They are eating medicated feed from TSC. The brooder is on my front porch with wood shavings as the bedding. The temps have been comfortable, ranging from 60 at night to 88 during the day.

I appreciate any help you can give!!

Edit to original post:
The chicks were hatched in incubator.

 

[Eggcessive]

Did you get the chicks from a hatchery, feed store, or a breeder? If they were shipped or from a feedstore they could have been stressed during shipping--too hot, too cold, etc. If they were hatched by a breeder, there can bacteria from eggs or the incubator that can cause infections. I would offer them electrolyte and vitamin solution (SaveAChick) or give some Pedialyte, and dip their beaks in it if they aren't drinking it. A thermometer on the floor of the brooder under the lamp is best to keep the temperature stable during night/day temperature changes. 90 degrees, the first week, 85 the second week, and so on, but make sure they can get into a cooler area if they are too hot.

Oops, just saw the at you have SaveAChick--may try giving a drop or two with a dropper to make sure they drink.

 

[aquaponics3712]

I went out to check to see if any of them have pastey butts and only 2 did. (Which I washed off immediately.) One is seeming more lethargic than yesterday but this one does't have pastey butt. Ugg! I just don't want to lose any more babies!

I just gave them some poly-vi-sol in their water as well as some Vitamin B.

Should I be giving them some Tylan?

 

[mithious]

Do you have other chickens? You could try treating for cocci??? It's possible they have come in contact with it. You can also try an antibiotic. I had a few chicks arrive that I had to cull, but first tried Duramycin-10 for 7 days, to see if it was a bacterial infection. It's really hard to know why chicks and chickens are ill or "under the weather". Sometimes all we can do is mostly trial and error and maybe something will help???? The antibiotics did not help mine and I had to cull the sick/injured ones...that was hard, but was for the best as I believe they were suffering. I think my issue was shipping stress and possibly a crushing accident during shipping. Best of luck and hope you don't lose any more. Sooo sorry for your loss!!!

 

[aquaponics3712]

I do have other chickens, however, I have kept these babies away from the adult flock. And the babies are on my porch (not near the grass that the adults have been walking on.)

I have some Tylan.

Should I give that to all 20 that are left? Or just the ones that seem to become lethargic?

And how much dosage would be for a TINY week old?

 

[mithious]

I do have other chickens, however, I have kept these babies away from the adult flock. And the babies are on my porch (not near the grass that the adults have been walking on.)

I have some Tylan.

Should I give that to all 20 that are left? Or just the ones that seem to become lethargic?

And how much dosage would be for a TINY week old?

It is still possible, cocci that is, if you maybe forgot to wash your hands once, tracked it in from outside ect. I don't know how your biosecurity is, but it is very important to know what it is and to practice it always. There seems to be too many chicken illnesses out there today that weren't back when I started with chickens....I find it mind boggling at times, trying to learn about them all

I have no experience with Tylan. I do know that it is a heavy duty antibiotic, which is why I suggested the Duramycin-10 which is a broad spectrum antibiotic and not so much " the big guns" I have read Tylan to be. Sorry for not being able to help with that one. casportpony might be able to help you with the dosing, you could try a pm to her, but I would be hesitant to give such a potent drug to little babies. Any way you can pick up some of the other I mentioned? That one is 2 teaspoons per gallon of water and needs to be mixed in a little lukewarm water to dissolve it, then fill with cold like normal. Treat for 5-7 days.

Is there a reason you have the Tylan? I read it is used primarily for respiratory illnesses. Have you treated any of your other birds for respiratory illnesses?

 

[aquaponics3712]

I do wash my hands, but definitely anything is possible! Especially if it is that contagious. My cat runs freely. (He loves the chickens and often sits with them in their coop. He also watches over all of the babies as though they are his.) So perhaps he could have spread it??

I am giving the babies medicated feed. Would that help keep them from catching Cocci?

Yes, I have Tylan because I purchased some adult birds back in the spring and quarantined them for 2 weeks. However, (perhaps because they were carriers?) they still introduced a respiratory infection to my original flock. I lost 2 before figuring out what to do and Tylan was the suggested antibiotic. I separated the rest of the sick birds and gave them the Tylan and within 7 days, their sneezes and runny noses went away. Three weeks later, I reintroduced them to the rest of the flock. However, if I understand correctly, the ones that caught it will always be carriers, correct?

But I don't want to give the babies Tylan if it is too strong for them. Thanks for letting me know! I will try to find the other medication that you suggested. Is that at TSC?

I really appreciate your help!

 

[cafarmgirl]

Get some Corid and treat them all in case this is coccidiosis. It's entirely possible and if that's what it is you can put a stop to it easily but you have to get on it right away. I treat immediately at the first sign of a slow chick.

Look for it in the cattle section, TSC usually has it. Comes in powder or liquid, doesn't matter which you use. I'd at least start with that and go from there. The little bit of fluid/bubbles coming from the mouth/nose at the moment of death is pretty common. I wouldn't suspect a respiratory issue unless they were showing symptoms prior such as sneezing, coughing, runny/foamy eyes etc.