What to Do About Diarrhea in Chicks? Cause Analysis and Prevention and Treatment Methods
Chicks are the most fragile stage in a chicken's entire life cycle, and especially now that winter has arrived, the management of chicks is becoming more and more important. Many farmers encounter various problems when managing chicks, and one of the most common is diarrhea. If diarrhea is not treated in time, it can easily lead to the death of chicks. So what causes diarrhea in chicks? How should it be treated? Let's take a look together below!
1. Overdrinking
Some farmers, in order to increase the number of chickens in their flock, will buy breeding stock from outside in addition to keeping their own. After purchase, no drinking water is provided during transport, causing the chicks to become short of water and dehydrated. After entering the coop, they drink large amounts of water, which their bodies cannot handle, causing diarrhea and making the dehydration even worse. Therefore, to ensure the normal growth and development of chicks, drinking water must be provided in time. When chicks are about 2-4 hours old after breaking out of the shell, they can be given their first drink, and at the latest no more than a day and a half. Pay attention to the temperature of the water for the first drink; do not feed cold water, to prevent stunted chicks. After the first drink, an appropriate amount of brown sugar and other substances can be added to the drinking water to replenish the chicks' moisture and promote growth.
2. Gastrointestinal infection
The immune system of chicks is very underdeveloped. If management is poor, chicks are highly susceptible to gastrointestinal bacteria such as Salmonella. Gastrointestinal infection generally occurs in chicks about 3 days after hatching, and they die about a week after infection. The main symptoms are diarrhea, poor spirits, and so on. Therefore, we must do a good job of disease prevention as soon as the chicks are born. An appropriate amount of edible vinegar can be added to the drinking water to strengthen gastrointestinal immunity. For sick chickens, a small amount of garlic can be mixed into the feed, and vinegar and gentamicin, etc., can be added to the drinking water. Then feed an appropriate amount of yeast water to restore the chicks' intestinal flora and improve digestion.
3. Excess protein
Many farmers, in order to promote the growth of chicks, increase the proportion of protein in the feed, but the digestive capacity of chicks is very weak. If the protein content is too high, it is very likely to cause indigestion in chicks, resulting in diarrhea and pasted vents. Observe the chicks' eating situation and droppings; if you find that the chicks' appetite has decreased or that the diarrhea contains undigested feed, it means the chicks have indigestion. Therefore, in the three days before the chicks hatch, pay attention to the protein level, and feed cooked corn kernels and yeast water to improve the chicks' digestive capacity and prevent indigestion.
4. Improper feed
Feed is one of the main causes of diarrhea in chicks. Some chicken farmers, for convenience, buy all the chicken feed at once. But they do not pay attention to feed storage. In high temperature and high humidity, some feed is very prone to mold and spoilage, and after chicks accidentally eat it, symptoms such as red and swollen vents and diarrhea appear. So when feeding, we must pay attention to the quality of the feed, never feed moldy feed, feed an appropriate amount of glucose water, add an appropriate amount of vitamins, and do a good job of detoxification and liver protection.
Diarrhea in chicks is a very common problem in the process of raising chickens, and it can also be called a disease. Moreover, the problems caused by diarrhea are very serious, so everyone must do a good job of prevention. After the disease occurs, check the specific cause and then use the corresponding prevention and treatment method, strengthen the management of the chicken coop, and reduce the occurrence of diarrhea. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you for reading and supporting.