PLEASE HELP MY CHICKS ARE DYING ONE BY ONE!!

[KnkGoose]

MY Chicks are just overone week old, they are from McMurray I found one dead on Sunday..
then in the last hour thay are getting weak lethargic and DYING in the brooder?? I dont know what is happening??? THey were having a nit of Pasty bum I added ACV to the water they have been FINE eating , drinking.. playing.. very vocal!!! I have just lost 6 babies in the last thirty minutes,, its like they cant breath or something ?? their breath is labored and they just lay down and dte!!
PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME STOP THIS!!

 

[cpegram]

have you been cleaning thier bums of the poo?

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Is it possible they are getting to hot? Make sure they have plenty of room to escape the light.

 

[CMV]

They don't need ACV at this age. They need feed (chick crumbles medicated or non; I prefer medicated) , water (clean and not too deep, heat lamp (red bulb; 90 degrees F, but variable around the brooder so they can cool down if need be) , and a dry space to run around in.

Wash pasty butts as needed. I like to rinse them off under a running tap of warm (about 103 degrees; no warmer or you risk burns) water.

Too cold? Too hot? Dying so rapidly indicates a major crisis. Are you giving the ACV in a galvanized waterer?

 

[KnkGoose]

I only had to clean bums one night and it wasnt all of them.. just a few.. they havent had any problem since I added the ACV .. Shouuld I stop adding it now??

 

[CMV]

Yes.

 

[KnkGoose]

THey seem to have enough area.. THe temp near the light is at about 89 and they have enough room to move to the other end of the brooder box to get out of the light.. I dont think they are cold either they dont seem to huddle under the light except when they sleep and even then they huddle in small groups around the box

 

[ten chicks]

How many chicks do you have in brooder?

One other thing to look at besides what CMV has already stated,is Coccidiosis. Cocci is a parasitic infection of the intestinal tract and the leading cause of death in chicks, Some symptoms are : runny/watery poop(may or may not contain blood,depends which strain it is)fluffed feathers,lethargic,not eating/drinking properly. If symptoms match,purchase Corid(amprolium).Dose for Corid 9.6% liquid is 2 tsp per gallon of water,dose for Corid 20% powder is 1-1.5 tsp per gallon of water. Treat ALL chicks for 5 days,DO NOT give vitamins during treatment as they interfere with the ability of coccidiostat to work,give vitamins after treatment is complete. Make sure medicated water is the only source of drinking water, Cocci kills very fast,but is easily controlled using a coccidiostat.


Check to make sure the heat lamp/brackets/etc do not contain any teflon(toxic to birds).

 

[enola]

How hot is the brooder now?

 

[Eggcessive]

ACV is kind of overrated as a wonder drug, and with chicks, it may be harmful. It can irritate the GI tract and increase calcium levels. That's probably not what is killing your chicks though. My guess is they are somehow stressed, maybe still from shipping. Get a thermometer on the floor under the light--by now 85-90 degrees is plenty warm, and make sure there is a cooler area. Make sure they are eating. I would start some electrolytes in the water--SaveAChick or homemade for the next 24 hours. Dip their beaks into it. Here is a recipe:

HOMEMADE ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION

1/2 teaspoon salt substitute
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 gallon water​