sudden chicks/bantam deaths

[ljblue]

I been losing a chick a day for about a week now today i lost four i thought it was cocci because of blood in they poop but i worm them and it reduced the blood droppings.I had one died standing up against a corner. They look down and weak then died a short time later .they about 7 weeks old.I am a first time chicken owner someone please i need advice/help.

 

[HEChicken]

Have they been on medicated or non-medicated feed?

 

[ljblue]

they were medicated feed but take off about two weeks now

 

[ljblue]

I got 1 month guineas not to long ago do they spread disease to small chicks?

 

[HEChicken]

Guineas don't in general spread disease but any new birds introduced to one another should be quarantined prior to introductions, just to be sure (particularly true when introducing newly acquired chickens to the established flock).

Can you tell us more about their environment?

How big is their coop?
Are you still using supplemental heat?
What type of bedding?
What type of feed?
Availability of water?
Where kept? I.e. in a basement, outside, ?

The blood in the poop can be a symptom of cocci however if they were on medicated feed, even for the first 5 weeks, that seems less likely. The fluffed up certainly indicates they are not feeling well. Are they sneezing, wheezing? Does their poop look solid or watery? Are they eating and drinking normally?

 

[ljblue]

Are they sneezing, wheezing? no
Does their poop look solid or watery? Watery
Are they eating and drinking normally? yes



an you tell us more about their environment?

How big is their coop? not sure the size but small horse stall
Are you still using supplemental heat?I wasn t until tonight
What type of bedding?wood shavings
What type of feed?dumor <I look and i have grower/finisher instead starter/grower like i thought i had. would that hurt them?
Availability of water? yes they have 5 gallon and 1 gallon water
Where kept? I.e. in a basement, outside, ? inside in back room in trots

 

[HEChicken]

Are they sneezing, wheezing? no
Does their poop look solid or watery? Watery
Are they eating and drinking normally? yes



an you tell us more about their environment?

How big is their coop? not sure the size but small horse stall
Are you still using supplemental heat?I wasn t until tonight
What type of bedding?wood shavings
What type of feed?dumor <I look and i have grower/finisher instead starter/grower like i thought i had. would that hurt them?
Availability of water? yes they have 5 gallon and 1 gallon water
Where kept? I.e. in a basement, outside, ? inside in back room in trots

The grower finisher should be fine for them. The other information helps to rule out some things. The reason I asked about living in a basement is that the damp from basements has been known to lead to mold spores being present, which can cause illness for the birds. As long as the horse stall is clean and dry, that shouldn't be an issue and sounds like plenty of space for them.

When you say you wormed them, what type of wormer did you use?

Also, how old were they when you lost the first chick?

I dunno, some of the symptoms really do sound like Cocci. Have you treated with Corrid?

Other things I would probably be doing, because they can't hurt and might help, is to add a little ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar, unpasteurized, with "The Mother" in it) to their water at a rate of about a 2 TBSN per gallon. I might also give them a little unflavored yogurt, as the probiotics are good for them. Not saying those things will necessarily be a solution but might help to boost their immune systems enough to keep them fighting.

 

[ljblue]

When you say you wormed them, what type of wormer did you use? Wazine 17 from TSC

Also, how old were they when you lost the first chick? 6 weeks

I dunno, some of the symptoms really do sound like Cocci. Have you treated with Corrid? No i haven't . can you get it at TSC ?


Thanks for the help HEChicken

 

[ljblue]

just lost another one

 

[HEChicken]

Ahhh okay. Wazine is a wormer that is only effective against roundworm. If they have an infestation of roundworm you might see little wiggling white things in the poop for the first few minutes after it was passed. However the absence of them doesn't mean they don't have them, and any other type of worm will not be visible to the naked eye, so I don't recommend the use of Wazine. At all. It gives a false sense of security while not actually giving any assurance that they don't still have worms.

In any case, I probably wouldn't worry too much about worms at this age - not that they can't have them, but its more likely when they're older.

Corrid is the treatment for Cocci and yes, it is available at any feed store. TSC should have it, and the sooner you can get them started on it, the better.

Good luck, and please keep us posted after you've started with the Corrid.