why are my chicks dying?

[cgjsmith]

I got 5 mille fleur & buff polish from Ideal about a month ago, 4 BLpolish died, I moved them cleaned out the brooder and put in my new turkey poults that hatched (quite a suprise) now one of them has the same symptoms as the polish. They act sleepy, won't lay down then just die, I tried sulmat for coccidia and sugar to try and pep them up. The only thing they have in common is that I used the big bag of wood shavings one the brooder floor for them both. I took out the shavings but I think it might be too late. Crystal

 

[silkiechicken]

What kind of shavings did you use? Cedar can be toxic, and much so if they were on a a whole month. If they were standing, sounds like they do not feel well, possibly due to the smells, or if they were too cold for some reason. If they did not contact soil, I would have no idea how they would have gotten cocci, so that probably didn't do much other than give them a short burst of thiamine deficiency, since coccosidants are thiamine blockers. Could you tell us more about the brooder set up? Sounds like that wood shavings might be a source of your problem if it's the common link here. Hope the rest can make it.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

This scares me because I'm getting my flock from Ideal on May 23! I hope I don't run into this problem. I was told too never to use ceder..only pine but not when they are first brought home...they say to use paper towel for the babies for the first 3 days to a week or they will eat the wood chips.

 

[wynedot55]

im betting your brooder is infected with some sort of diease.an that you need to stop using it pronto.get a need brooder an put all the non affected chicks in it.do not put sick an healthy chicks togather.to answer the person thats panicing relax.your chicks coming from ideal or healthy.just make sure you put them in a clean brooder.an that you change their litter every 3 days.i use the toats from wal-marts as brooders.an when i get the chicks out of them for good.i scrubb them with bleach an water.an let them air out for a few days.

 

[seminolewind]

Are they all using any food or sustances in common? If they are, you might want to buy new.

 

[cgjsmith]

I bleached it before using it again. the shavings are the pine shaving in the big bag at TSC. I thought they were kinda strong smelling. Don't worry about your ideal order. All of my other ideal animals are doing great. Crystal