Hello, I’ve been having issues with my chicks, I think they’re sick. There were 10 and they are around four days old, and two days ago we found one very lethargic in their chick box. We picked her up, put her on a heated blanket while watching her and ordered sav-a-chick. The first was a black silkie and she kept her eyes closed and it didn’t really seem like she could stand. She had weird head spasms and seemed very weak. We fed her some sav-a-chick and she passed away about an hour after we took her out. The next day we woke up to find a second chick (a buff Orpington) that kept her eyes closed and looked tired while the other chicks were running around. We took her and and did the same thing as the other chick. Whenever we tried to give her the sav-a-chick with a syringe she’d roll her head around weirdly or turn it too far to the side. She’d move her head more (but I don’t think it was good) when we gave her the water. After around an hour or two she passed away and opened her eyes before she did like the first one. Later in the day after we came back home we checked the box to see that one of the “Americanas” looked a little tired. I was suspicious so I took her out and put her on the electric blanket and fed her some sav-a-chick just in case. She mostly kept her eyes closed but she also seemed to not like the sav-a-chick and kept turning her head to the side weirdly. We got home at around 10-11 and this last chick opened her eyes more often than the other 2. She passed away at around 2:30 AM. Now today the last 7 chicks keep twitching their heads. We think it might be Crazy Chick Disease, Avian Encephalomyelitis, or Encephalomalacia. I’m scared they might all die, and we’re also planning to get three ducklings around March 20. Any suggestions?
Here’s how the Buff Orpington was laying when she wasn’t doing the head thing.
Here’s how the Buff Orpington was laying when she wasn’t doing the head thing.
