Help! Dying silkie babies!

[Krismac90]

I got a batch of silkie chicks from ideal poultry in the mail a week ago today. Starting on Saturday, they all began to die. I’m fairly certain everything was fine with the brooder setup and their situation. I really think they have some sort of disease. They all had very watery poops, and they all went downhill very quickly once they got sick. They would be running around just fine one second, and then just get really sad looking, chirp a bunch, start to fall over on their backs and not get up, and stop opening their eyes. When I would pick them up, they would have clear liquid come out of their mouths, and they would keep opening and closing their mouths over and over again. Then they would die within 12 hours. They all died like this, and 7 of them died within 48 hours. I tried everything I could to keep them alive. I’m fairly new to keeping chickens, so I don’t know a lot, but I have spent so much time looking things up, trying to nurse each sick one back to health, and calling the hatchery for ideas and expertise. I currently have one chick left from the silkie batch. It has been alone for 24 hours now, and has also been on corid for about the same time. The last time I talked to the hatchery they said to try that for cocci.
I know that’s a lot of information, but here is my question. My last surviving chick seems to be ok. The fact that it’s lasted this long gives me hope. It’s so lonely though. If it’s going to last, I want to get other chicks from a local feed store to keep it company. How do I know it’s well enough to put with other chicks? My biggest fear is that I get some more chicks to keep it company, and then the silkie ends up having pullorum and kills even more chicks. I’ll attach a picture of the surviving silkie’s poop, but other than that and a description of the situation, I don’t know how else to rule it out. I’m really hoping it’s cocci at this point just because at least that’s treatable, even though the knowledge that all of our babies died due to a preventable disease is almost just as hard to swallow.
Please help! And please be kind. I really am trying my best and already feel so responsible for their deaths. It’s killing me.

 

[Debbie292d]

First off, week old chicks can't get coccidiosis as it takes a couple of weeks to build up to the point of even showing a symptom. The Corid won't hurt it though. Be sure to follow up with vitamin water like Poultry Cell and probiotics after you run the course of it.

Shipped chicks sometimes just don't survive the shipping but to lose that many is strange. Is the hatchery going to replace them?

Pullorum is rare so it's doubtful that's what's wrong and your surviving chick wouldn't be around either.

They should be at around 90F for heat, with lots of room to get away from the heat. What are you using for bedding? Are they nearby your kitchen? Something might be toxic to them in the area they are in.

 

[Krismac90]

First off, week old chicks can't get coccidiosis as it takes a couple of weeks to build up to the point of even showing a symptom. The Corid won't hurt it though. Be sure to follow up with vitamin water like Poultry Cell and probiotics after you run the course of it.

Shipped chicks sometimes just don't survive the shipping but to lose that many is strange. Is the hatchery going to replace them?

Pullorum is rare so it's doubtful that's what's wrong and your surviving chick wouldn't be around either.

The hatchery said they only guarantee them 48 hours, so they will only refund me the one that died within that window. I honestly don’t know if I want replacements from them at this point. We have a small flock of two month old layers we got from the local feed store that are thriving outside and have been much less of an emotional ordeal. I have four little boys and they’ve had a really hard time with all their silkies dying.

Our feed store is getting some olive eggers and black giants in today. Should we get some as brooder mates for the little silkie? It’s really so lonely, I just want to make sure it’s safe…

 

[Debbie292d]

The hatchery said they only guarantee them 48 hours, so they will only refund me the one that died within that window. I honestly don’t know if I want replacements from them at this point. We have a small flock of two month old layers we got from the local feed store that are thriving outside and have been much less of an emotional ordeal. I have four little boys and they’ve had a really hard time with all their silkies dying.

Our feed store is getting some olive eggers and black giants in today. Should we get some as brooder mates for the little silkie? It’s really so lonely, I just want to make sure it’s safe…

I've raised an orphan twice before and the TV set is a savior. I would get it a couple of buddies though.

The other thing you could do is someday buy an incubator and then find someone local that raises silkies to buy hatching eggs from. I used up the only breeder within an hour of me so I buy them off eBay. That would be a great experience for the boys!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I really think they have some sort of disease.

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Sounds more like shipping stress and failure to thrive. Sorry for your experience.

Silkies can be a bit harder.. they may pretend to eat while not actually ingesting enough to thrive.. I lost my first whole shipment of bantams. And subsequently learned to crush the feed a bit extra.

Using poultry nutri drench has also worked miracles for shipped chicks.. but can hide the fact that they're not eating.. and have them suddenly fail when switched to plain water.

I've ordered from Ideal a couple times and never yet *seen* any sign of disease in their birds.

Our feed store is getting some olive eggers and black giants in today. Should we get some as brooder mates for the little silkie? It’s really so lonely, I just want to make sure it’s safe…

Yes, do it!

 

[Krismac90]

I've raised an orphan twice before and the TV set is a savior. I would get it a couple of buddies though.

The other thing you could do is someday buy an incubator and then find someone local that raises silkies to buy hatching eggs from. I used up the only breeder within an hour of me so I buy them off eBay. That would be a great experience for the boys!

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Sounds more like shipping stress and failure to thrive. Sorry for your experience.

Silkies can be a bit harder.. they may pretend to eat while not actually ingesting enough to thrive.. I lost my first whole shipment of bantams. And subsequently learned to crush the feed a bit extra.

Using poultry nutri drench has also worked miracles for shipped chicks.. but can hide the fact that they're not eating.. and have them suddenly fail when switched to plain water.

I've ordered from Ideal a couple times and never yet *seen* any sign of disease in their birds.


Yes, do it!

You guys are making me feel so much better! Thank you! Oh my gosh, you have no idea how badly I’ve felt these past couple of days. I’m going to grab a few layer friends for our survivor today, and then maybe next year I’ll try hatching some more silkies. I really do love them. They’re so sweet and adorable! Hopefully we’ll have a better success rate with hatching.