Uh ... help ... maybe ... babies eating too much?

[SteveH]

Quote:
This is the truth of the matter.................................. and before making a decission to buy something, I think perhaps everyone would be better off to have at least done some research as to the nature of what they're buying. They definately can be successfully raised slower if you are set up with adequate feeder space, though an area to browze is beneficial. However, everything beneficial for rapid growth and superior feed conversion has been bred in, and you're going against their designed proclivity and ability as a rapidly developing meat bird, meant to be harvested in 41 days, when you do so.

 

[galanie]

And as far as the stink, they don't smell any worse to me than any other chicken does whose area is dirty and wet. As another poster said, you just need to clean a lot more often. I raised some but this next time I'm growing some slower growing cornish, not the cornish X. Mainly because I have a Dark Cornish hen and an Orpington rooster. Might as well have some "free" meaties.

 

[pinkwindsong]

I put my 19, 4week old broilers out in the grow pen. because they were outgrowing all my area available to them in the coop. and oh my goodness. that much food an water consumption. = vast POOP.!!!

and to me their poop is stinkier than my layers..

so the first 2 days went well outside in grow out pen.. dirt floor, wire sides. tin roof.. ) I do not have a light out with them and now out of the blue something is wrong with nearly all of them.. their little heads are all swollen and they are snuff and snezzing.

. their little eyes are swollen and goopy shut.. i have seperated the worst of them from each other.. but they arnt going back to my coop where everyone is happy and healthy.. What Happened..???? what is this.???? did they just get colds from no heat and dirt floor?

I thought at 4 weeks they would be albe to control their body temp .. was I wrong? i called and asked the 4-h lady and she was gonna have a special person call me back..

here itis 5:21 ans no call..

i dont know what to do for these little guys.

should I give them a warm bath in Epson salts for the 3 sickest taht their little heads are all swollen?? oh these three i have in my kitchen with me... oh I did see a old ant nest but looks like it has been empty a while. I saw no other insects or spiders no wasp's... just hinking of anything..


I could sure uses some advise for these little guys..

I hate to loose them after all the time and yeah money put into them. and its just plain frustrating not to know..!!!

Pink

Im sorry I didn't mean to take over the thread but if this is something that happens with the Cornish cross then this the OP might want to know upfront too.. I never expected it that's for sure..

 

[Jloeffler]

I am so sorry tom hear that Pink!! I hope the specialist calls you soon so you can start to treat their problem! Did you post in the diseases and injuries thread? Someone here might know.

 

[MeatKing]

I am so new too this, but maybe they caught, per say a cold.. Too damp n cold...? I don't know what your weather is there? I would put hem all back under the light, clean bedding etc.. I hope their ok...

 

[pinkwindsong]

ya know it really is like they caught a cold.. but when I asked in about a cold i got some really hateful messages about how chickens cant catch a cold and that they all have to be culled... and they are going to be contagious.. yada yada.. but they are not with my layers so I dont worry about so I really didnt want to go there, I was hoping the previous meaties would have more of a realistic view..

I am going to buy them a actual Heat lamp and a couple of extension cords friday ( pay day) they are much farther away from my coop than I had thought to get power out there..

I have dirt floor could it be that? maybe the dust? nahhh

 

[Jloeffler]

If they have been rubbing their beaks in the dirt they can get dirt in their noses which will make them sneeze. When my girls pig out on some leftovers or such then try to rub food off their beaks, that can also make them sneeze.

Look for crusty eyes, goop coming out of their noses, and that type of thing.

Search this site for "sneezing birds" and there is a thread, with the same title as your search

, with several links to informational sites and a good non snippy conversation. I'd post the like for you but I can't on this computer.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

I think I am in the camp of chickens don't get colds, but I don't think it is as doom and gloom as some make it out to be.

Very good chance by the symptoms the meat birds do have some sort of CRD bug and the stress of moving them outside was a tipping point. Actually given you have existing layers your young meat birds could very well be figting something the layers have already had and that was dormant.

Unfortunatly just because the layers and meat birds are not together does little to prevent spread. Other vectors need to be considdered; your cloths, boots, feed and watering, rodents or wild birds, even dander blown by the wind can spread infections surprissing distance.

Dirt floor is not likely the problem, many are raised that way, though putting birds onto soil the first time can expose them to new pathogens. I lost about 20 meat birds yesterday due to cocci (I based on symptoms) It the first time I have had trouble with that here, treated the water and got as many as I could drinking, the survivors do look to be comming around. It is humbling just how quick it can happen 1 dead bird Tue Night and maybe a slight reduction in food consumption, then 20 dead Turs.

Good luck with it.

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
I have my doubts that they died from coccidiosis, as I have had birds I was pretty sure had a heavy cocci load, and never lost any birds due to it. What med did you treat them with?

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

I treated with sodium sulfamerazine, as of this morning things were looking better, have to wait and see how they looks tonight.

I suppose some sort of enteritise could be possible E-coil? maybe. That would be pretty left field though considdering they have been in a separate barn rather well protected anything outside and on the same feed for the last 2-3 weeks. Knock on wood no other animals or birds have been ill.