2 Year lurker, lookin for some help/info.

Hi everyone, first post so I'll do a small intro. I've been lurking for almost 2 years now but never registered because anytime I've had a question I've found a related thread to it. I've been raising my own meat birds for 2 years now and thoroughly enjoy it for many reasons, one of them being I like to know they are healthy as can be before they are butchered. But here is my issue. Last week I came home from work to find one of my birds (they are all cornish X) very lethargic, breathing heavy, and his comb and waddle were a red/grey instead of the normal bright red. I was supposed to feed and water and head out of town (I also have a bird sitter, so they are checked on often when I am gone) shortly after getting off work so I didn't have time to research what this was. I butchered him, put him in the freezer and left. This morning I noticed one who was in similar shape but not so bad. Had to go to work but would look into when I got home. Came home and he was pretty bad. Can't pick up his head. I am going to butcher him because he seems to be more miserable than any bird I've had thats been sick or wounded. Also, the one that I butchered before this one had a smaller than normal heart that was also surrounded with a sac and filled with fluid. His organs were also lighter colored than normal.

A little more info: I ordered from Murray McMurray and DID NOT vaccinate for Marek's Disease or Coccidiosis.

Welcome to BYC. How old are the birds? Maybe someone who deals with meat birds will chime in at some point. They can commonly have heart and other problems since they are meant to be butchered so young. Coccidiosis is pretty common where other birds have been raised. You could try giving some Corid (amprollium) for 5 days just in case. The usual signs are lethargy, weakness, hunched or puffed up appearance, and diarrhea or blood in droppings, and it is very common in younger birds.

Thanks for the reply. I got them on August the 19th. So assuming they are a day or 2 old when I receive them, they are just over 2 months. I usually slaughter at 2 months and plan to do so Halloween weekend. After making this topic my wife actually found something describing what I had with the last 2, which is apparently heart failure. Any input is still welcome.