poor health farm chicks and what i can do? mixing chicks.....

[mistycolleen]

I have a question about mixing chicks. I have 14 vaccinated chicks from a reputable hatchery and tonight I'd like to pick up 5 polish chicks from a local farm won most likely will not be vaccinated. Both sets ate the same age, about 1 week old. Now my 14 vaccinated ones are being fed a non medicated feed and I'm unsure what to do about the 5 tonight? Can I brood them together? Feed them unmedicated feed? Do I need to worry about them getting sick or am I putting too much thought into this?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Is there a vaccine for Cocci? OK, I just looked it up and see there is such a thing but do any hatcheries offer it?

There are several vaccines a person can get when ordering chicks. You might want to check up on what you did get. Cocci if a problem in your soil is dealt with by using medicated feed. This medicated feed is for nothing else but preventing mortality of chicks by high levels of Cocci in your soil. Adult birds can handle it but chicks need to grow and acclimate which is why those with problems use medicated for first 8-12 weeks of age.

Biosecurity is up to the individual. Some folks keep closed flocks, other only purchase from hatcheries or feed stores. Myself and others do purchase from breeders and then there is those that purchase birds from people like me. Is there a risk of bringing in disease when bringing in birds from an outside source? Sure there is and it's up to you what level of security you can live with. If the flock the chicks your bringing in is healthy and has had no issues in recent years then why not? I'm NPIP certified but that in reality does not certify a disease free flock only that they don't have Pullorum. So you see, there are many diseases and parasites. One vaccine does not cure them all.

Medicated feed is fine to use if you feel you need it. As stated it's used to 8-12 weeks, right into time they are outside and up to them being grown enough to handle high levels of Cocci in your soil. Odds are you don't even have a problem. Ask local chicken owners if the soils around you are high in Cocci and if you need medicated.

 

[mistycolleen]

If I do feed medicated, which I think might be best, then they'll need a separate brooder right? Since mine that were vaccinated have to have unmedicated feed?

 

[mistycolleen]

alright i probably should start a new thread for this but im just going to continue on here.
so i just met this "breeder" who was a complete idiot. i mean it! i was so put back and down right disgusted in the guy that i think i took the poor chicks just out of fear of them going back home with him.
they are the saddest looking little chicks i have ever seen. i may have made a mistake bringing them home but thought i would try to rescue them. they all had pasty butt to the extreme! i mean the one had about an inch caked up on her bottom. when i was inspecting them, and having a fit, the guy was "oh!? well what is pasty butt?? i thought that was just the remains of the yolk" ya...no. the one that was caked so badly is about twice as small as the others and i am completely prepared to loose her since she can hardly stand let alone walk. the other four seem fine other than the fact not one of them will eat or drink. i dipped all theyre beaks in the waterer and watched as they all gulped it down but wont attempt it on their own. and not one of them will peck at the food. im not sure what he was feeding them, i asked several times and he was confused on what i meant by medicated or nonmedicated each time i asked. i did pick up medicated which could be the issue if they were not getting it before but i figured it couldnt hurt. i guess im at a loss at what to do. i should say that they are absolutely being kept seperate from all the other chicks i have. i feel sad for the weak small one and am not sure if i should let nature run its course or attempt to put her out of her misery. i dont honestly know that i could if i tried but she is in really rough shape.
what do i do about getting them to eat and drink on their own? is there anything else i can do to help these lil guys?

 

[Yardbird22]

That is very upsetting to hear. I'm glad that you took them in, but now you are stressed and worried. You can only do your best. Best thing you can do now is clean all their pasty butts, keep them dry and warm I would add a heat source to reduce stress. I would give them electrolytes and probiotics. I would worry about keeping them hydrated first, then worry bout them eating. Giving them electrolytes should give them a jump. Which will encourage them to eat later on probiotics will help boost their immune systems, and Medicated feed won't hurt them. They will probably benefit them since they where obviously kept In a dirty place. All you can do is your best. They at least have a chance now. Good luck.

 

[mistycolleen]

That is very upsetting to hear. I'm glad that you took them in, but now you are stressed and worried. You can only do your best. Best thing you can do now is clean all their pasty butts, keep them dry and warm I would add a heat source to reduce stress. I would give them electrolytes and probiotics. I would worry about keeping them hydrated first, then worry bout them eating. Giving them electrolytes should give them a jump. Which will encourage them to eat later on probiotics will help boost their immune systems, and Medicated feed won't hurt them. They will probably benefit them since they where obviously kept In a dirty place. All you can do is your best. They at least have a chance now. Good luck.

Thank you yardbird, thru out the night they all started eating and a few have been drinking. They are getting both the probiotics and electrolytes and have a heat lamp on them. I guess I will just have to watch these babies for a few days and see how it goes.

 

[mandelyn]

I've experienced that before too, getting chicks from someone who shouldn't really be raising them. Almost seems that more often than not they need a little extra care. So now that we're getting set up on some land, we'll be producing our own birds!

Keep them separate for now, to see if anything else develops in the chicks from the "farmer". At least a month. Usually clean water, good feed, heat, and a clean environment gets them on the right track.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

If I do feed medicated, which I think might be best, then they'll need a separate brooder right? Since mine that were vaccinated have to have unmedicated feed?

Medicated feed is designed to foster natural resistance to Coccidosis in young chicks. If you feed medicated chick feed to chicks who have been vaccinated against Coccidosis with a weakened or killed vaccine then the medicated chick feed interferes with the formation of

natural resistance to Coccidosis. Because medicated feed kills the cocci organism before resistance is established.

Chicks will build their own resistance to Coccidosis if they are able to live with coccidosis long enough to confer resistance.

For the life of me I can't understand why someone would try to raise weak or inferior chicks.

You will raise enough Tim Crochet crippled chicks without playing around with Coccidosis.

 

[aart]

If I do feed medicated, which I think might be best, then they'll need a separate brooder right?
Since mine that were vaccinated have to have unmedicated feed?

What were they vaccinated for??
Without knowing that, no one can viably advise anything.

I would not have brought home anything from that farm situation,
who knows what you've brought into your flock.

 

[mistycolleen]

What were they vaccinated for??
Without knowing that, no one can viably advise anything.

I would not have brought home anything from that farm situation,
who knows what you've brought into your flock. 

I agree about bringing them home but just couldn't walk away and turn my back to them. They are all eating and from what I can tell, drinking. The little one is walking fine and seems to be getting outta strength back.
My other chicks came from murray mcmurray and they vacvinated them for both mareks and cochidosis. I know I won't be vaccinating mine in the future but was just concerned about brroding them originally together. But after taking these chicks on, they are I their own little quarantined brooder