[croad langshan]

Ok this is a strange one, i have twenty two chicks , they have gone through three vaccines and all has been fine, they had the bronchitus vaccine yesterday in the drinking water for two hours, then back on fresh water. This morning i went into the chick shed and three were lying on their sides unable to get up. thought it may of been other chicks lying on top of them but they have heat in the evening so they dont huddle together. I have seperated them and put them in a seperate shed. I found out my little neice went into the shed yesterday and gave the chicks some layers pellets !!!!!!!!!! I told her off and explained she must not go in there without my say so and told her the reasons they cant have pellets like the big hens can. She is only five! Any ideas? The chciks look a bit better now but still cant stand up.

[woodside farm]

How old are the chicks? if they are on chick crumbs I wouldn't have thought they would have eaten the layers pellets, and if they did I can't see them coming to any harm.
Could it be an after affect of the vaccine, I never vaccinate my chicks so I wouldn't know.

Michelle xx

[woodside farm]

Sorry    just read they are 4 weeks old so I take it they are on chick crumbs.

Michelle xx

[croad langshan]

Sorry    just read they are 4 weeks old so I take it they are on chick crumbs.

Michelle xx

I havent seen this after the vaccine so i dont think so but its a possible thing to keep in mind!!! Thanks x 

[croad langshan]

Sorry    just read they are 4 weeks old so I take it they are on chick crumbs.

Michelle xx

I havent seen this after the vaccine so i dont think so but its a possible thing to keep in mind!!! Thanks x 

Im just hoping its nothing contagious, but i cant see how it can be as they dont come out of the shed and i have a bio hazard mat outside!!!!! 

[woodside farm]

Do you breed a lot of chickens? and do you always vaccinate? 
It's just that I breed pure breeds and have never vaccinated any of them.

Michelle xx

[iwantanallotment]

As Michelle said, that was my first thought also.

Do you know about possible adverse affects of the vaccine?  It seems too much of a coincidence to ignore.

Re the layers pellets, I'd think they'd be too big and they'd just ignore them? There isn't anything in them that would incapacitate younger birds, anyway.

Hope they're better tomorrow.

[croad langshan]

Ok having spoken to the vet it seems its a reaction to the vaccine, a few more have gone down with the same symtoms. I have used this vaccine for several years and the reaction has never been this bad, usually they have a flue like reaction but its very mild. It seems this is a rare reaction but it can happen.  It looks like i may loose a couple. Very distressing but as the vet said if they cant get through the vaccine then thye would have no hope of surviving the full blown Bronchitus.
I do hatch around 600 birds at a time and we are a working farm so we have lots of traffic in and out so i vaccinate because i was advised to by my vet, defra and trading standards, It looks like there may be a major crack down next year on people who have jumped on the bandwagon and money is in the forefront of their mind and not the wellfare of the birds!!! Rant over! thanks for the input guys. :blink: