Silkie chicks getting sick and dying

[har97]

I hatched out some silkies that are currently a week old I’ve already lost 2 and they’ve had the same symptoms the start limping on one leg then holding their wings out to balance and then they get increasingly worse until they’re weak and cannot move then they die. The one that is currently sick is limping but still eating and drinking and I have no clue where to even start. They were eating medicated food so I thought possibly thiamin deficiency they’ve been on purina non medicated chick starter for about 24 hours and now this one is limping when it was fine last night. The only thing I’ve done so far is add poultry cell to their water and I just did that. Someone please help!

 

[Debbie292d]

Medicated or non-medicated feed really has nothing to do with it and I use both, depending if they are hatched by me or chicks from someone else.

My initial thoughts are it's a vitamin deficiency because silkies are prone to them, however, they usually don't die in their first week from that.

The poultry cell should help, but could they possibly have been exposed to cocci? Medicated feed only affects a couple of strains of it and there could be others.

What does their poop look like?

What kind of water do you have? We have a well so I use bottled water for the first two weeks or so.

 

[har97]

Medicated or non-medicated feed really has nothing to do with it and I use both, depending if they are hatched by me or chicks from someone else.

My initial thoughts are it's a vitamin deficiency because silkies are prone to them, however, they usually don't die in their first week from that.

The poultry cell should help, but could they possibly have been exposed to cocci? Medicated feed only affects a couple of strains of it and there could be others.

What does their poop look like?

What kind of water do you have? We have a well so I use bottled water for the first two weeks or so.

I wouldn’t really think so as they’ve been in my kitchen but I have had birds get it previously. I do have corrid on hand can I mix that with poultry cell in the water or would I have to only use 1?

 

[har97]

I wouldn’t really think so as they’ve been in my kitchen but I have had birds get it previously. I do have corrid on hand can I mix that with poultry cell in the water or would I have to only use 1?

The chick seems to be breathing harder than normal as well

 

[Debbie292d]

I wouldn’t really think so as they’ve been in my kitchen but I have had birds get it previously. I do have corrid on hand can I mix that with poultry cell in the water or would I have to only use 1?

I would not use the poultry cell while they are on Corid. After done with Corid, back to vitamins and some probiotics though.

I just think your experience is one of the rarer ones to have hatched them in your house, then had them on medicated to boot, so the chances of them getting cocci is pretty slim but for week-old chicks, there aren't too many other choices for what could be wrong.

It's the kitchen I bet. Even if you don't use teflon, there still could be issues from using the stove/oven. Also something else like air fresheners, candles, cleaning product fumes, etc. Can you move them to another room?