[Pebbles]

I have a number of silkie and lavender pekin chicks between 2-6 weeks old. I found one dead two days ago and presumed it had been killed by a crow or rat and I increased security around their pen. This morning to my horror I found 12 dead chicks of various ages and noticed some blood around their vents and in their pooh. Im on my way to the feed supply store to ask their advice and see if there are any over the counter medicines as it seems to be an intestinal illness or desease. I have never gad any illness within my poultry. Any ideas what could be wrong and how it can be treated...Im sure I'll get better advice here than from my vet who isn't very clued up on poultry. Thanks in advance.

[Womble]

Eeek!
 
My first thought was coccidosis, but have they been acting normal in every other way?
 

Outward signs of coccidiosis in chickens include droopiness and listlessness, loss of appetite, loss of yellow color in shanks, pale combs and wattles, ruffled, unthrifty feathers, huddling or acting chilled, blood or mucus in the feces, diarrhea, dehydration, and even death. Other signs include poor feed digestion, poor weight gain, and poor feed efficiency. Some symptoms can be confused with other diseases. For example, necrotic enteritis is a gut disease that also causes bloody diarrhea.

Have they been on a medicated chick crumb?
 
I hope you manage to find out what's the matter!

[lord flynn]

sounds like coccidiosis. Have seen it at work. get some Harkers Coxoid and get it down them asap (goes in drinking water-encourage them to drink by dipping beaks in) or ring the vet-if you get it down them before they show symptoms (hunched up appearance, depressed and lethargic) then you'll save some. Its very contagious and spreads in damp conditions (damp grass/brooders). Also get a good disinfectant that kills oocysts and practice good biosecurity for your other poultry-generally they become immune to it naturally but can be susceptible up to 18months old.

[Marches Farmer]

Given the age of the chicks my first thought would be Coccidiosis - did they apear listless beforehand?  White diarrohea?  You can add Proleth to the water.

Second thought would be E. coli - brown diarrohea?  You can add Terramycin to the water.

In both cases I'd recommend fresh shavings as bedding and improving ventilation to the house if you can.

Are they still under a heat lamp? Might be worth putting one on at night if you can rig it up. Weather here has changed very rapidly from warm and dry to wet and quite cold over the last week - always a challenge for young stock of any variety.

[Pebbles]

Thanks for all your speedy replies. I had looked up coccidiosis but apart from the bloody stools there were no other matching symptoms. Right up until last night (& those that have survived this morning) they have been active, eating, drinking and "playing". They are still indoors and under heat & have clean bedding and lots of ventilation but we're now kicking ourselves as it's dawned on us that d&h chick crumb is not medicated!! :-(  Will call vet now and see if he has any of the medicines you've suggested to add to their water. Thank you again. Gillian

[lord flynn]

the cocci cases I witnessed weren't really showing typical symptoms either-they werent lethargic until they had bloody faeces and they went down very quickly-as in overnight. Some of them never showed any signs at all.

The Harkers stuff should be available at any good agricultural store that stocks wormers etc-some pet shops may also have it as its for pigeons as well.

[Pebbles]

Just been to the vet with 3 live and 2 dead chicks. It is coccidiosis.  To destroy bedding and disinfect, change to medicated feed and we've left with Tylan for their water. Been told to expect more deaths but it should all be over in about 5 days. Wish there was something I could do to prevent any more deaths but it would seem that's not possible :-( Thank you again. Gillian

[doganjo]

So sorry, Gillian, seems such a waste to go through all that hatching just to lose them.  Hope you can save most of what you have left.

[Mammyshaz]

  how awful for you. Fingers crossed hpyour remaining chicks make it. I have dithered this year whether to use medicated. Will always use it after reading your experience.

[lord flynn]

I am sorry, such a shame-fingers crossed for the others.

[Stereo]

It's awful and should be treated if it happens but I will never use medicated feed. That is not the right approach at all.

[HesterF]

Why not Stereo?

[chrismahon]

Our one and only case of Coccidiosis, a Cream Legbar chick at 4 weeks, was pronounced beyond help by the vet. At that stage she was pooing just blood and was hunched over. In desperation I bought a tub of probiotic natural yoghurt, filled a syringe with it and filled the little girl's crop to the limit. Next day she was fine! It repeated at 5 ½ weeks but the same treatment saw and end to it. She lived another 6 years.


We now give all our chicks a spot of probiotic yoghurt at day two. They are reared inside on unmedicated crumb and go out at 6 weeks. We have never had another case of it.


However chicks outside under a broody get medicated crumb. They also get a spot of yoghurt when we can catch them. It does inhibit their growth though, so at 8 weeks they are the size of the internally reared 6 week chicks.

[lord flynn]

I've never used medicated crumb either. I do keep some coxoid handy when I am hatching. I had one young cockerel once who just wasn't showing as much interest in his food as he should-no other symptoms but I put them on coxoid for 7 days and they were ok-obviously don't know if it was that. They were 7 weeks old and on fresh grass daily at the time. I have used medicated growers by mistake, it was in tiny letters on the feed slip, no mention on the bag.

[Marches Farmer]

However chicks outside under a broody get medicated crumb. They also get a spot of yoghurt when we can catch them. It does inhibit their growth though, so at 8 weeks they are the size of the internally reared 6 week chicks.

We've found over the years that chicks under a broody consistently grow more slowly than chicks raised under a heat lamp and have put it down to the fact that chicks will spend a lot of time under the broody and not eat at all through the hours of darkness, whereas the ones under a lamp have constant access to food and the light to eat it by.  They all grow to the same size in the end.