What do I need to keep on hand....

[kybeagle]

I have 21 little chicks that are now 2 weeks old. This is also my first time raising chicks and I was wondering what I need to have on hand in case of any kind of sickness. They are all doing great and seem as healthy as can be, but I hear of so many different kinds of sickness on here (cocci, etc.) and thought I may be suppose to have some kind of meds on hand just in case. They have been on medicated feed and 2 teaspoons of ACV/quart of water since they were 3 days old. Should I be giving them anything else?

 

[suzyq53511]

Nothing really unless they get sick!

 

[chickenlittle32]

I'd get a bottle of Corid or Sulmet just in case for Cocci. You don't want to have to find it after the fact.

 

[BellLisamo]

i keep poly-vi-sol on hand always. i use it on weak babies and i also use it on adults. I cured a serama hen with wry neck by using it.

 

[Qi Chicken]

I posted this same question before we got chicks and never really got an answer. I did find the polyvisol. It doesn't say without iron, but it doesn't say with iron either, my pharm had to order it and I need to look up the technical term for iron I guess. Would corid OR sulmet do or is one better than the other? Anything else you would recommend? Thanks to the OP!

 

[DaKid]

As long as you have plenty of fresh water and med. chicken starter you should be ok if there are 2 weeks old you should be in the clear, normally you would start losing baby chicks the first few days after they arrived , but seeing the 2 weeks you should be ok as long as you have a heat lamp and in a draft free place ,

I just received 100 chickens and turkeys these last few days and hatch out almost 25 more myself , and I only lost 4 the first day or two there are almost a week old and are all looking great
You should be GOOD

Now as for you what you

will need

well for me is a fresh cold case of beer in the refrigerator at all times

That’s what I do and have

good luck

 

[kybeagle]

thanks to all!!!!!!!

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

I woulds say by a month old you won't have any worries they are healthy after that month then they will be safe I worried for the first month on all of mine but after that I don't so much I do to a point and I do count them every morning and night when I feed them or put them to bed it is the only time I can count them they are not moving lol.


Good Luck to you

 

[kybeagle]

I noticed today one spot of poo that looked to be alittle bit loose and had a reddish brown color to it. I don't know if it is cocci or not but wondered if it would be OK to go ahead and treat them with the Corrid, even if it wasn't cocci?

 

[MissJenny]

No need to treat -- one loosish stool is very common. Are your chicks outside? Look up common diseases -- things like cocci, wry neck, sour crop, bumble foot, mites, lice and see what the causes are (an ounce of prevention...) and the most effective cures. You certainly don't want to dose birds with medications unnecessarily.

Here is something I see on this board all the time -- people buying new birds from essentially unknown sources (flea markets, swap meets, cousin's step-neighbor-in-law) and not quarantining the new birds from the existing flock, yet having the nerve to be shocked and surprised that the new birds brought some pernicious disease into the mix. Entire flocks have been wiped out this way.

At two weeks chances that your hatchery birds have something is slim... lest they are outside where they can get things from the ground or from wild birds.

Jenny