Two week old broilers
by Christopher
I have two week old broilers and five days ago and found one chick dead. Another one followed two days later. Then today I noticed another that has difficulty walking. Would you happen to know this disease? Answer: I wish I could tell you if this is a disease and which one it might be. The most important thing with young chicks is adequate heat in the brooder for their age, starting at 95 degrees F, good food and clean water and regularly cleaned floor litter. I would check for signs of rusty reddish diarrhea in the brooder, this could be a sign of coccidiosis, an intestinal bacteria, that can grow out of control in some chicks. If you see signs of this you will want to medicate the sick ones, and possibly the rest, if you believe they are in danger. If these chicks haven’t been around other birds, it would be unusual for them to have contracted a disease. The bacteria mentioned is generally present, in fact believed beneficial, to a certain degree. Under stressful conditions the bacteria can over populate, cause sores in GI tract which accounts for the dark stool. Always make sure to sterilize your brooder between batches of chicks, just in case. If you suspect an intestinal problem I would suggest feeding a probiotic to help balance their digestive system. Any weak chicks may be revived with a little sugar water, Gatorade, or electrolyte product. Sometimes just dipping the tip of their beak in water is enough to perk them up. |