- Dec 1, 2009
- 178
- 0
- 109
Hello,
I may have a problem, I am not sure. I am brooding a bunch of chicks for my mom(I don't even know how many, anymore
)
. Her chicks range in age from 3-4 weeks, I think. I also have 25 or so barred rocks(about 6 weeks), and 25 black broilers. All these chicks are being brooded in my garage. They have cardboard brooders with 250 watt heat lamps. Though they have lots of room, they probably are a little overcrowded, so I do a lot of work with keeping the bedding clean(turning, changing, etc) I am very sensitive to the smell of ammonia(cannot use any in cleaning products, even), so I figure if I ever smell it out there, the bedding needs changed, so I replace it. I keep it clean enough so they don't have to walk in poop, or have any on their feet, etc. I keep their water clean, it is up high enough that the only thing that gets in it usually is bedding, and I clean it out as soon as I see it. I say all that just to make it clear that they kept in pretty good conditions.
I got the first chicks(that have gone to their permanent home) Jan 6. I got the barred rocks Jan 20. All from ideal, all very healthy. The week of Feb 3, we got a shipment from a bycer(very healthy chicks)Then a few days later, one from Ideal(all healthy, too). Then a few days later, we got one from McMurray. These chicks were smaller than any we had gotten(all standards, except 2 Mille fleur somethings that with special protection, are thriving) These chicks weren't as lively as all the others were, took longer to get over shipping stress, I lost 2 of that bunch, I think, one about 4-5 days after shipment, and one about 1 1/2 weeks after. These new chicks I started with ACV in their water, as directed here on byc posts(I bought the good stuff). About a week after the MM order, I noticed one chick was staying fluffed up, and laying down all the time, it seemed. I held him up to my ear and heard crackles when he inhaled. After finding that all the other chicks had the same crackles, I treated them with duramycin 10 in the water for a week. During that time, that chick died, but all the others got better(as far as I could tell, there are around 118 total, so I can't pick up each one and listen to it.)
There are a few of the cuckoo marans(the chick that died was a cm also) that just look like they don't feel good. There eyes look like they feel bad. I can't be more specific than that. There is no coughing(do chickens cough?), no sneezing, no drainage, poop is normal, they are all eating well, normal weight, etc. All the other chicks act fine, they forage in the bedding, chase each other around, spar, etc. These marans chicks just act different, even from the cms from Ideal. They might have a crackly sound when they breathe in. I am not positive, because it might be their feathers in my hair, since I have to hold them up to my ear to hear it at all. I listened to one with a stethescope, and it seems like if there are any crackles, it is hardly any, at all. These cm chicks do appear to be a hair smaller than all the other standard chicks, though their weight is good. My barred rocks now fly over their pen, and mingle with the littles in their brooder, so if there is a disease, they are all exposed. I have some Tylan 50 injectible, and am thinking of using it in the water, but I don't want to do that if it isn't absolutely necessary.
Advice would be more than welcome. Should I medicate? Because of the sheer number, treating the water is probably the only option. What is the dosage of tylan 50 injectible into the water? I just don't want any of the other chicks to get sick(though none of the other breeds are, just the clean legged cuckoo marans; like I said, even the little mille fleur whatevers are thriving)
Any other suggestions? Here is a picture of one of the cm to show what I mean about looking like it doesn't feel good.
Carrie
I may have a problem, I am not sure. I am brooding a bunch of chicks for my mom(I don't even know how many, anymore
I got the first chicks(that have gone to their permanent home) Jan 6. I got the barred rocks Jan 20. All from ideal, all very healthy. The week of Feb 3, we got a shipment from a bycer(very healthy chicks)Then a few days later, one from Ideal(all healthy, too). Then a few days later, we got one from McMurray. These chicks were smaller than any we had gotten(all standards, except 2 Mille fleur somethings that with special protection, are thriving) These chicks weren't as lively as all the others were, took longer to get over shipping stress, I lost 2 of that bunch, I think, one about 4-5 days after shipment, and one about 1 1/2 weeks after. These new chicks I started with ACV in their water, as directed here on byc posts(I bought the good stuff). About a week after the MM order, I noticed one chick was staying fluffed up, and laying down all the time, it seemed. I held him up to my ear and heard crackles when he inhaled. After finding that all the other chicks had the same crackles, I treated them with duramycin 10 in the water for a week. During that time, that chick died, but all the others got better(as far as I could tell, there are around 118 total, so I can't pick up each one and listen to it.)
There are a few of the cuckoo marans(the chick that died was a cm also) that just look like they don't feel good. There eyes look like they feel bad. I can't be more specific than that. There is no coughing(do chickens cough?), no sneezing, no drainage, poop is normal, they are all eating well, normal weight, etc. All the other chicks act fine, they forage in the bedding, chase each other around, spar, etc. These marans chicks just act different, even from the cms from Ideal. They might have a crackly sound when they breathe in. I am not positive, because it might be their feathers in my hair, since I have to hold them up to my ear to hear it at all. I listened to one with a stethescope, and it seems like if there are any crackles, it is hardly any, at all. These cm chicks do appear to be a hair smaller than all the other standard chicks, though their weight is good. My barred rocks now fly over their pen, and mingle with the littles in their brooder, so if there is a disease, they are all exposed. I have some Tylan 50 injectible, and am thinking of using it in the water, but I don't want to do that if it isn't absolutely necessary.
Advice would be more than welcome. Should I medicate? Because of the sheer number, treating the water is probably the only option. What is the dosage of tylan 50 injectible into the water? I just don't want any of the other chicks to get sick(though none of the other breeds are, just the clean legged cuckoo marans; like I said, even the little mille fleur whatevers are thriving)
Any other suggestions? Here is a picture of one of the cm to show what I mean about looking like it doesn't feel good.
Carrie
