See my update on page 5. I think I may have figured out what was causing a lot of the problem.
I have chicks that are almost three weeks old that are slowly dying off. They are housed in my basement and I will go down and check on them and everybody seems fine. Then an hour later I go down and one will be down, sometimes laying on its side, sometimes just in a normal sleeping position, but very lethargic. I separate it, give it water and food with a dropper and in an hour or so it's up again and seems fine. Ultimately, however, all that have been down have ended up dying within 24 hours. I have had this happen with younger chicks, but never any that were almost 3 weeks old. I have tried everything, including vitamins, a little Sevin dust thinking maybe they had mites, Sulmet in case of cocci (although I never saw anything that indicated that specifically), checked and rechecked temperature, made sure they aren't in a draft, etc. I just don't understand it. I changed out their entire cage yesterday and put in fresh bedding, started mixing in a little bit of a higher quality food, sanitized the waterer...just about everything I can think of. When I went down this morning, there was another one that didn't make it. The odd part is that some of the chicks that were hatched on the same day are twice the size of the ones that are having trouble. Could it possibly be something genetic? Just maybe weak chicks? They are light sussex and blue-laced red wyandotte crosses, which I have hatched successfully for about a year and they are normally VERY hearty, grow quickly, and thrive. This is my fourth hatch of this particular cross and I've lost over half of them. I am perplexed, frustrated...and sad.
1) What type of bird , age and weight: light sussex / blue-laced wyandotte crosses
2) What is the behavior, exactly: They seem fine, then I find them laying on their sides, not breathing hard, just lethargic, then a few hours later they die.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? Once they begin exhibiting symptoms, I rehydrate them, feed them, and only one has bounced back totally and not ultimately died.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? I hatched 36 eggs and have lost 16 birds so far.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma: No bleeding that I can see.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation: I have no idea what is causing this.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all: After watching them for hours and hours, it seems as though they are all eating and drinking just fine, then I will find one laying on its side.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc: Normal
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? (See above)
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use: Initially I had them in a very large black tub. Now they are in a cage with a high plastic bottom (to prevent drafts) with wood shavings in the bottom with a heat lamp on them. Cage temperature is approximately 85 degrees right now.
I have chicks that are almost three weeks old that are slowly dying off. They are housed in my basement and I will go down and check on them and everybody seems fine. Then an hour later I go down and one will be down, sometimes laying on its side, sometimes just in a normal sleeping position, but very lethargic. I separate it, give it water and food with a dropper and in an hour or so it's up again and seems fine. Ultimately, however, all that have been down have ended up dying within 24 hours. I have had this happen with younger chicks, but never any that were almost 3 weeks old. I have tried everything, including vitamins, a little Sevin dust thinking maybe they had mites, Sulmet in case of cocci (although I never saw anything that indicated that specifically), checked and rechecked temperature, made sure they aren't in a draft, etc. I just don't understand it. I changed out their entire cage yesterday and put in fresh bedding, started mixing in a little bit of a higher quality food, sanitized the waterer...just about everything I can think of. When I went down this morning, there was another one that didn't make it. The odd part is that some of the chicks that were hatched on the same day are twice the size of the ones that are having trouble. Could it possibly be something genetic? Just maybe weak chicks? They are light sussex and blue-laced red wyandotte crosses, which I have hatched successfully for about a year and they are normally VERY hearty, grow quickly, and thrive. This is my fourth hatch of this particular cross and I've lost over half of them. I am perplexed, frustrated...and sad.
1) What type of bird , age and weight: light sussex / blue-laced wyandotte crosses
2) What is the behavior, exactly: They seem fine, then I find them laying on their sides, not breathing hard, just lethargic, then a few hours later they die.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? Once they begin exhibiting symptoms, I rehydrate them, feed them, and only one has bounced back totally and not ultimately died.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? I hatched 36 eggs and have lost 16 birds so far.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma: No bleeding that I can see.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation: I have no idea what is causing this.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all: After watching them for hours and hours, it seems as though they are all eating and drinking just fine, then I will find one laying on its side.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc: Normal
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? (See above)
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use: Initially I had them in a very large black tub. Now they are in a cage with a high plastic bottom (to prevent drafts) with wood shavings in the bottom with a heat lamp on them. Cage temperature is approximately 85 degrees right now.
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