I just want to share a hard lesson I learned this week, losing 3 chicks in the bargain. There was one that seemed puny at about week 2, so I gave her some supportive care. She seemed to bounce back but maybe just had a subdued personality. Several days ago, I found her dead in the brooder. No one else seemed off, but the next day, there were two more dead, and some looking distressed.
I've been using a red brooder light, as recommended. My eyesight is not the keenest in low light, and the red masked the reddish tint in the droppings that might have alerted me to cocci before it was too late. With aggressive treatment, I've not lost any more [knock wood] but I am sick at heart that I didn't realize something was wrong early enough to save the ones I lost. More experienced folks already know all this, and although I've had chickens for a few years now, this is only my second time having baby chicks, and my first time having more than 5 [we got a min. order of 15, with a freebie added]
Some of the lessons I've learned from this:
1. Medicated food is not a sure preventative of cocci.
2. Whatever it takes, use a spill proof water dish - even if it means you have to refill it 5 times a day; wet bedding breeds cocci.
3. It's a good idea to use a bright light and check the appearance of the droppings in the brooder every day; the droppings may well show there's a problem before the chicks start to act like something is wrong.
4. Have a spare brooder so you can switch them to clean more easily; ammonia is supposed to be best at killing oocytes.
5. If you get chicks, make sure you have the following on hand before they arrive - corid powder, non-medicated food, electrolytes [no vitamins, just electrolytes], and plain yogurt.
I hope this info can be of use to others.
I've been using a red brooder light, as recommended. My eyesight is not the keenest in low light, and the red masked the reddish tint in the droppings that might have alerted me to cocci before it was too late. With aggressive treatment, I've not lost any more [knock wood] but I am sick at heart that I didn't realize something was wrong early enough to save the ones I lost. More experienced folks already know all this, and although I've had chickens for a few years now, this is only my second time having baby chicks, and my first time having more than 5 [we got a min. order of 15, with a freebie added]
Some of the lessons I've learned from this:
1. Medicated food is not a sure preventative of cocci.
2. Whatever it takes, use a spill proof water dish - even if it means you have to refill it 5 times a day; wet bedding breeds cocci.
3. It's a good idea to use a bright light and check the appearance of the droppings in the brooder every day; the droppings may well show there's a problem before the chicks start to act like something is wrong.
4. Have a spare brooder so you can switch them to clean more easily; ammonia is supposed to be best at killing oocytes.
5. If you get chicks, make sure you have the following on hand before they arrive - corid powder, non-medicated food, electrolytes [no vitamins, just electrolytes], and plain yogurt.
I hope this info can be of use to others.
