Loosing birds and need help, I'm at a loss. Never had this issue before.
We are at a new location, first time raising chicks here, have also had to start completely over with my chickens and the new place, as I had to get rid of everything when we moved, and just now got things set up to have my birds again.
Here's the background, and maybe someone can help before i loose every single bird I have. Will add vets here don't generally mess with chickens so are no help as far as taking one to them.
I got 27 day old chicks. Lost one at a few days to pasty butt but they all did well and grew well after that, no problems. Outgrew the brooder so we moved them to a rabbit hutch type cage for a grow out pen. All was going well, until one got down, lethargic, acted like it couldn't stand, would rest on its legs from the elbows down to it's feet (forget what the proper term is, sorry), and the toes curled to the side, not around like they'd do when roosting. It didn't want to eat or drink. At first I thought, maybe it was trampled so moved the chick by itself, and by the next day it was dead and we had another one with the same symptoms, it died the next day. This has seemed to progress every day with another bird. We did move the chicks, as they were a split bunch to their respective homes. Did not help, but did start them on Corid and Poultry cell. One bunch has seemed to stop loosing birds (after loosing about 8). As of yesterday we had one acting down, but others that had looked like they were on their death bed were up and running around. The other bunch I'm am down to the last chick.And she was up and we thought going ot make it until yesterday afternoon, she was down, same symptoms. She was alive this morning, but no better, and I honestly doubt she'll be alive when I get home today. Never did see bloody poop but thought that coccidiousis treatment wouldn't hurt? They do act like they are weak so thought that the poultry cell would help, we were thinking vitamin/mineral deficiency. This last chick was up and running and then within hours down and won't get up. Did find lice knits and the yellow itty bitty crawlies on her so dosed her with the permectric (sp) spray, last night. I'm grasping at straws and not sure what is up. I know we have black birds and grackles that nested in the trees above the grow out pen, so wonder if they brought something in to the chicks.
I have 8 grownish just started laying birds but they aren't in with these chicks and haven't been. I figured i better treat everything for the lice though, since it seems like they may transmit easily. I did loose one of those girls yesterday, but she was in the coop squawcking like they do when they are laying and just fell over dead, so don't know if it was related or not.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, I worked so hard to get my chickens back and I feel like I'm going to loose them all and helpless because I don't know what the problem is. Never been through this before.
We are at a new location, first time raising chicks here, have also had to start completely over with my chickens and the new place, as I had to get rid of everything when we moved, and just now got things set up to have my birds again.
Here's the background, and maybe someone can help before i loose every single bird I have. Will add vets here don't generally mess with chickens so are no help as far as taking one to them.
I got 27 day old chicks. Lost one at a few days to pasty butt but they all did well and grew well after that, no problems. Outgrew the brooder so we moved them to a rabbit hutch type cage for a grow out pen. All was going well, until one got down, lethargic, acted like it couldn't stand, would rest on its legs from the elbows down to it's feet (forget what the proper term is, sorry), and the toes curled to the side, not around like they'd do when roosting. It didn't want to eat or drink. At first I thought, maybe it was trampled so moved the chick by itself, and by the next day it was dead and we had another one with the same symptoms, it died the next day. This has seemed to progress every day with another bird. We did move the chicks, as they were a split bunch to their respective homes. Did not help, but did start them on Corid and Poultry cell. One bunch has seemed to stop loosing birds (after loosing about 8). As of yesterday we had one acting down, but others that had looked like they were on their death bed were up and running around. The other bunch I'm am down to the last chick.And she was up and we thought going ot make it until yesterday afternoon, she was down, same symptoms. She was alive this morning, but no better, and I honestly doubt she'll be alive when I get home today. Never did see bloody poop but thought that coccidiousis treatment wouldn't hurt? They do act like they are weak so thought that the poultry cell would help, we were thinking vitamin/mineral deficiency. This last chick was up and running and then within hours down and won't get up. Did find lice knits and the yellow itty bitty crawlies on her so dosed her with the permectric (sp) spray, last night. I'm grasping at straws and not sure what is up. I know we have black birds and grackles that nested in the trees above the grow out pen, so wonder if they brought something in to the chicks.
I have 8 grownish just started laying birds but they aren't in with these chicks and haven't been. I figured i better treat everything for the lice though, since it seems like they may transmit easily. I did loose one of those girls yesterday, but she was in the coop squawcking like they do when they are laying and just fell over dead, so don't know if it was related or not.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, I worked so hard to get my chickens back and I feel like I'm going to loose them all and helpless because I don't know what the problem is. Never been through this before.
