Sick Chicks

[crisisfarm2]

My feed store silkie chicks are two and a half weeks old. We bought them at TSC. Two days ago, we started hearing sneezing from one which we attributed to dust since they have been digging in their brooder and such. Last night, a second one started sneezing too. It is not constant. They have some clear discharge from their nostrils (nares?), but it is slight. They do not have labored breathing or any other symptoms of being sick except they do have diarrhea. They are eating and drinking normally, running around and being their cute chick selves. I bought Duramycin-10 after reading posts on here, but I just want to check that I am doing everything right. Am I? Or should I cull them? I have never had respiratory issues in my flock before. They are on wood pellets in a 50 gallon Rubbermaid tote. Where would they have picked this up? We don't have sick adults, and they are not in contact at all with the adults. Thanks in advance.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Give them more space and ventilation.

They could have picked it up from the wood pellets if they're hardwood. Chickens aren't indoor animals. They need fresh air.

 

[crisisfarm2]

Only have 7 chicks in a large tore open to the room

 

[ChickenCanoe]

From 1 to 8 weeks of age, it's best to have 2.5 sq. ft. of space per bird in an enclosed brooder.
If they got sick since you got them, there's likely a management problem.

Antibiotics without knowing what is wrong isn't a good idea either. Many things that afflict chickens are viral, fungal, protozoal, parasitic, nutritional and environmental. Antibiotics won't help that and only increase resistant bacteria. The bacterial things that afflict them often can't be cured.
Chicks in an indoor tote don't have much chance to contract a bacterial infection.
Most problems that occur in chicks in a brooder are related to not being robust to start with or too close confinement.

 

[kathleens1979]

Seem early to cull. Give them a fee days before doing anything drastic. Just my 2 cents!