Why did my chick die..

Last week, three of our two-month old chicks looked very ill. They just stood in a corner and were lethargic and not even interested in eating. Two were slightly better off than one who wasn't moving at all. We isolated him, and the moment we did that, he just flopped. Didn't get up after that, and then an hour later he started breathing hard, and shaking violently and died. It made us wonder if isolation killed him.

All this was so sudden, we were at a loss. They all had been active, though everyone's comb and feet had lost colour, become a pale yellow. The other two, had their heads sunken, and wings super droopy, and didn't care much for food. The others were able to snatch food from their beaks!

Their crops also looked swollen. We started mixing Apple Cider Vinegar (refined one, don't know where i could get raw) in their food, and also garlic (a lot of people told us garlic is like medicine to chicks.) Though I was afraid the two won't make it through the rainy night we had, but the next morning they were alive, tho not kicking. But we kept giving them ACV and garlic mixed with onions twice a day. The crop got better, and they did too. Became much more active in a few days time and look almost normal tho they didn't pick up their wings again . The colour started returning in almost everyone's comb, except for two or three out of the 11.

Now yesterday one of the big healthy ones, whose comb colour was still yellow, though he was active and looked healthy and shiny, yesterday didn't show much interest in food. His crop looked full and I thought he must have over eaten in the morning and that's why wasn't interested. Though he would come running at feed times, but went away without eating much, preferring to stand in a corner. He didn't come at all for the night feed. In the morning we found him dead.

Two others (the same one which had been sick earlier), their crops looks slightly swollen today and head sunken.

Apart from onions and garlic, we feed them bottle gourd and spinach everyday and pearl millet soaked in water (they don't care much for unsoaked ones). Tomatoes and cabbage occasionally, even cucumbers and sometimes cauliflower leaves.

Also why some combs are still yellow...

 

hi shannon, thanks for the reply. the one who died this morning had been perfectly normal apart from the yellow comb. and yesterday he started showing a disinterest in food and a slightly swollen comb. His feathers had been nice and smooth. I don't understand why some still have yellow combs, they are otherwise normal. Eating well. Two have droopy wings, otherwise now normal.

 

Hi Erica,

Thanks so much for your reply, I included onions from occasionally to twice a day after one of them died! We mix it with ACV and garlic. The ill ones seemed to get better and they ate it enthusiastically. so we continued with it. They really love greens, so we give them spinach everyday and coriander whenever its available, sometimes everyday.

I don't have access to any kind of chick feed, can you please tell what can I give them which will take care of the protein requirement. I have been thinking of mixing yogurt with the veggies we feed them. Is that a good idea?

Now i am going to find some cocci medication!

 

I do believe the soil has enough rocks. I sometimes work it up with a pitch fork, they seem to enjoy finding whatever they do in it! I didn't know they could be fed meat. Raw?
Planning to feed them corn today, they enjoy it. There are no stores around here but I will try to find some solution. Thanks everyone.