|
Post by spamela on Mar 8, 2010 10:48:58 GMT -6
I'm completely new to raising poultry so I need a little guidance on medication. I have a two week old chick that is in a brooder with about 7 other 2 week old chicks and 5 one week old chicks. He is definitely the runt of the first hatch and he isn't doing so hot. While all the other chicks run around and do their thing, he tends to just want to huddle under the brooder lamp and just over all looks sickly. I understand that sometimes you just have some that just don't do well, but my concern is that this one up until about 2 days ago was acting ok. My main concern is that this is something that will spreed to the other chicks. So I kinda want to nip it in the butt if at all possible.
They are and have been medicated with Sulmet pretty much since the second day. Do I need to purchase a medicated chick starter? If so any brand suggestions? Can I (do I need to) continue the Sulmet while feeding the chick starter?
Thanks for your help.
|
|
8bells
Junior Member
Chickens are Revolting
Posts: 137
|
Post by 8bells on Mar 8, 2010 12:32:48 GMT -6
Since he is the runt, the others may be pushing him away from food/water. Make certain that he eats/drinks plenty. Water is critical at this stage of growth!
|
|
|
Post by rhodeislandred on Mar 9, 2010 16:30:02 GMT -6
I usually take the runts aside into a seperate pen and feed and water them ,it just makes it easier. But make he gets plenty of water.
|
|
verloncox
Junior Member
Quality over quantity.
Posts: 129
|
Post by verloncox on Apr 19, 2010 17:01:10 GMT -6
I would definitely be checking his poop. It sounds crazy but I inspect at least thirty turds a day. I do business a little different and never use medicated feed but I insist on my brood pen being spotless and clean it two if not three times a day. I have a theory that chickens are a lot like people and if you dose them with antibiotics consistently then when you need it the most it wont work. I was in the hospital for 5 months and the docs told me that by my refusal to take antibiotics every time offered that is what saved my life. Here is what I would do, isolate him with ONE other chick (everybody needs company) but before I did that I would make sure that his poop looked good.............or at least as good as poop can look. I would also bump up his protein level in his feed to dress him out a bit more. I usually dont keep runts but IF I DID that is what I would do.
|
|
|
Post by spamela on May 25, 2010 15:12:50 GMT -6
UPDATE: I did isolate him with one other chick for a while (a couple of weeks) until the other chick started beating on him to bad. Then I kept him in a pen with my two new ducklings. He is actually doing great now. Aside from acting like he's a duck. He hangs with them more than the other chickens. He was just a runt I guess.
Thanks for the help everyone!
|
|