Worst experience with chicks, now lice 😭

[Cara83]

I have had the worst run with baby chicks. Out of the 13 I have got in the last month I only have 5 left.
Half were roos and I lost some.
This morning I discovered lice on the chicks and they have been treated with the safest product on advice from the stockfeed.
So I have cleaned the brooder, treated them all with a spray, they got damp but dried out quite quickly.
There were so many on one who wasn't thriving like the rest.
My question is how often do I clean out the brooder box? I was doing it every few days
Do I only re treat them for lice if they are still there in a few days time?
How can I ensure they thrive moving forward I can't loose anymore I was ready to just give up today.
I have attached a photo of the brooder.

 

[nuthatched]

Hi there, Is this a current picture? How old are the chicks? Where did you get them? What do they eat and how are you treating the lice?

 

[Cara83]

Hi there, Is this a current picture? How old are the chicks? Where did you get them? What do they eat and how are you treating the lice?

Yes just took that picture
3 chicks are just over a week old, one is 2 weeks old and my bantam is 4 weeks old.
I got some from a breeder they have been the problem ones and my most recent chicks from stockfeed who are great and probably the healthiest I have had.
They are eating medicated chick starter, and I just started to put 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in the water.
This is what I was told to use on them as it's safe on birds and it's worked they are all dead (lice) that is not the chicks

 

[nuthatched]

Yes just took that picture
3 chicks are just over a week old, one is 2 weeks old and my bantam is 4 weeks old.
I got some from a breeder they have been the problem ones and my most recent chicks from stockfeed who are great and probably the healthiest I have had.
They are eating medicated chick starter, and I just started to put 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in the water.
This is what I was told to use on them as it's safe on birds and it's worked they are all dead (lice) that is not the chicks

OK, I've never heard of that product but the ingredients look right. Don't add anything to their water, at this age unless it's chick vitamins, and if you do, provide a second waterer with pure water. cider vinegar won't help anything, so it's not really useful to add. At a week old, how did you figure out their sexes? Did the breeder vent check them for you? I'm glad they're doing better!

 

[Cara83]

OK, I've never heard of that product but the ingredients look right. Don't add anything to their water, at this age unless it's chick vitamins, and if you do, provide a second waterer with pure water. cider vinegar won't help anything, so it's not really useful to add. At a week old, how did you figure out their sexes? Did the breeder vent check them for you? I'm glad they're doing better!

Thank you
The roos where quite obviously at 3 weeks and the breeder takes them back. When I went back there was someone who sexed them there so I was lucky but I lost 2 So I ended up buying sexed chicks from stockfeed after that. Next time will be point of lay never doing chicks again.

 

[nuthatched]

Thank you
The roos where quite obviously at 3 weeks and the breeder takes them back. When I went back there was someone who sexed them there so I was lucky but I lost 2 So I ended up buying sexed chicks from stockfeed after that. Next time will be point of lay never doing chicks again.

Chicks can be difficult, but I think you've just gotten a bad draw. I've bought started pullets( about 10-12 weeks) before simply because they're easier to teach them where they need to, not to mention cheaper than pol. POL might be easier to find where you live though. Good luck, you're doing everything right.