Dying Chicks

[Darkjeweler]

Ok, last weekend I bought a pair of Hatch Game hens and 9 of their chicks. All the birds were put outside and locked in a coop with a dirt floor. Over the last 2 days I have lost 3 of them to some unknown disease. The chicks start to seem lethargic, then they appear drunk when they walk, then they basically lay on their sides and die. This all seems to happen within 24 hours of me first noticing symptoms. The instant I notice the problem I take the chick away and put it in the brooder to see if I can save it. This might have been a mistake since I have guineas in the brooder right now and if this is contagious I might have infected the keets.

Background: The coop had previously been used by the Guineas, but was sectioned for the new birds and the old straw taken out and replaced with new straw. Well a couple days ago we had a huge amount of rain which flooded the entire aviary for 2 days, so the new chicks were occationally stepping in water puddles and I am sure they were drinking the dirty water. Clean water is provided in the morning and evening, but the mommas are doing tons of scratching and tossing dirt and straw into the waterer, so again, the chicks may be drinking dirty water.

I still have 6 chicks left which seem to be ok at the moment. I have never had any issues with any of my birds before this weekend, so I am wondering what this could be

Mike-

 

[mnferalkitty]

I don't know what it would be but are they getting chilled and not able to warm up? I would put antibiotics in the water. In case it is an infection of some sort

 

[Darkjeweler]

I don't think it is a chill. The mothers are being reall good about covering the chicks at night. I suppose with all the water they were in for a couple of days they could have caught something.