VERY loose stools in 2 week old chicks

[ttrjpbcz]

I am only on my second batch of babies, the first I used a starter feed, this time the bag I got was purina start and grow medicated feed. these babies have liquid almost for stool and the stench is UNREAL! I know poop stinks, but this is very obviously a different rank smell and watery stools. Then it occurred to me that I am not using grit with the babies only the bigger ones....should I be?

Thanks for your thoughts.....these little ones are inside and the smell is unbearable even with a full brooder cleaning every single day!

BTW, the food is not expired and smells fine in the bag, but very obviously a different kind of stink on the way "out".

Any ideas on what could be causing this and what I can do to fix it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[sammi]

are they in a brooder under a heat light?
is it possible some feed got wet, or fell into the waterer, and went sour under the heat light?

you can try terramycin in the water..this can help treat enteritis type problems in chicks.

keep an eye out for blood in the droppings...
this would be cocci...even with medicated feed...
you'll need Sulmet liquid if the feed is medicated with amprolium.
(sometimes cocci doesn't show bloody droppings..if terramycin doesn't help, or gets worse..get the Sulmet)

 

[silkiechicken]

Could the weather make thigs damper than usual or something be up with the bag of feed you got? Are they drinking alot for some reason or getting extras such as fall harvest goodies? I'd personally not treat with antibiotics if you don't have a confimed or high risk of a bacteria based infection as you'd just increase the probablity of resistant bactera.

 

[ttrjpbcz]

They are inside the house, so I do'nt think it's a dampness issue and I clean it out EVERY DAY! As soon as one of them poops, it is apparent. Like if I am holding one (with paper towels) and it goes, it is really unreal. No blood, just yick.

The bag ran out so I have to get food today......I am going to get the regular starter feed I had the first time around and see if that makes a difference.

Thanks so much!

 

[speckledhen]

You dont have sugar in the water, do you? That will cause diarrhea. I've never had any trouble with smell that bad, though, naturally, poop has a smell. Terramycin will make the stools more loose, like any antibiotic. Try a tablespoon of plain, active culture yogurt once a day and see if that helps.