4 day old chicks dying

[Samanth]

I have looked through threads and I see a lot with almost similar issues but not exact so I decided to post something new.

I'm not new to raising chicks although it's been a few years.

I ordered 15 chicks from a referred hatchery. I received 16 seemingly healthy 4 day old chicks, they were in transit for less then 48 hours.

I have them in a 200 gal Rubbermaid container with a brooder heater, not a heat lamp. The temp is around 90°. Dry food, fresh water with electrolytes. I'm using a thin layer of pine shavings over absorbent pads.

The day they came home everyone seemed perfectly fine, eating and drinking. The next morning I found one chick laying on it's back, limp and struggling. I isolated it, syringe fed it electrolyte water. It died within the hour. Then 2 chicks went wobbly with their heads down. I isolated them and gave them electrolyte water every few minutes. They perked up but then within hours started craning their necks back and went limp. They were alive but struggling. They eventual died. Then another started seizing in front of me and died within 10 minutes. Then another went wobbly and same pattern.

Everyone else seemed happy and healthy. We went to bed and woke up to happily peeping chicks running about. Then shortly after another went wobbly and I have been tending to it all day. I even administered nutri solution.

It goes wobbly, head down.
Gets weak and lays down.
Starts craning it's neck backwards.
Doesn't move.
Dies.
In like a matter of 60 minutes even with attention.

No air fresheners or plug ins. No harsh chemicals.

Help.

 

[TesoroSena]

I have been through that twice, and both of them died while having a seizure. I do not know a cure nor a cause but i thought you should know i understand. The first victim was a turkey, who died, but i though you might want to know that if i hadn't held it's neck while it was spasming, it would have broken it's own neck. Try keeping them in one position.
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Onbyc it has a similar thing called Help! Chicks are dying! Larthergic, Gasping seizures, then death, possible coccidiosis? Thry searching that up, exactly if you haven't heard of it. The disease i delt will pass to other chicks, so separate any with syptoms. Hopefully the site Help! helps. I am sorry for your losses.

 

[nuthatched]

I wonder if the rubber maid is leading something? What is their feed? Sorry for your loss

 

[CloneFly]

So my first batch of chicks did this. I started with 5 and ended up with only 2 survivors. I was pretty sure those 2 weren't going to make it either. I gave mine Albon 0.3cc for about 2weeks. They survived. Have you tried Corid/cocci treatment?

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Always offer fresh water alongside water that is treated with supplements. Chicks this young wouldn't have coccidiosis due to the length of the life cycle.
I would put a few drops of nutri-drench in their beak at least 2 times a day along with offering some egg yolk.
A lot of times the brooder heating plates aren't warm enough for shipped chicks - this is why hatcheries often promote using a well secured heat lamp at least for the first week or two.

 

[Lunes]

I have looked through threads and I see a lot with almost similar issues but not exact so I decided to post something new.

I'm not new to raising chicks although it's been a few years.

I ordered 15 chicks from a referred hatchery. I received 16 seemingly healthy 4 day old chicks, they were in transit for less then 48 hours.

I have them in a 200 gal Rubbermaid container with a brooder heater, not a heat lamp. The temp is around 90°. Dry food, fresh water with electrolytes. I'm using a thin layer of pine shavings over absorbent pads.

The day they came home everyone seemed perfectly fine, eating and drinking. The next morning I found one chick laying on it's back, limp and struggling. I isolated it, syringe fed it electrolyte water. It died within the hour. Then 2 chicks went wobbly with their heads down. I isolated them and gave them electrolyte water every few minutes. They perked up but then within hours started craning their necks back and went limp. They were alive but struggling. They eventual died. Then another started seizing in front of me and died within 10 minutes. Then another went wobbly and same pattern.

Everyone else seemed happy and healthy. We went to bed and woke up to happily peeping chicks running about. Then shortly after another went wobbly and I have been tending to it all day. I even administered nutri solution.

It goes wobbly, head down.
Gets weak and lays down.
Starts craning it's neck backwards.
Doesn't move.
Dies.
In like a matter of 60 minutes even with attention.

No air fresheners or plug ins. No harsh chemicals.

Help.

Same exact thing happening to my 4 day old silkies. One died earlier today- so so fast. Then 2 remained. All good until I went to check on them just now before bed and one is wobbly and laying on its side too

 

[Rurumo]

How do you have the heater set up? A lot of people new to plate heaters set them up wrong, not saying this is the case here, just curious. Also, what is the room temperature?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry about your chicks.
Can you please post photos of the brooder setup?

Where did the chicks come from?

What are you feeding?

You mention the temp is 90F is that all of the brooder or just one warm spot? What is the temp on the cool side?

 

[Unicorn9]

Scariest thing ever, so sudden! I had a hen seizure in my arms! She was older maybe 3yrs old, and we were having a great time at the fire pit, she sat in my arms, happy and healthy, then I stood to walk her back and she began the frantic seizure and gasping and died, broke her neck from the rapid twitching. I found out later it could just be a random "sudden chicken death" syndrome is all I could find. I thought it may be from smoke inhalation, but it's never bothered other chickens in this manner. Maybe it is just a heart attack? I don't know if anyone's ever tracked this, or done more to find out why it happens and at different ages. Sorry for your loss and the helplessness you feel to save them.

 

[TesoroSena]

I am so so sorry this happened to you, and i am also really sorry i don't have an answer. I have only had chicks do this to me, so that is as far as i know. If you really want to know, try sending it to a lab to run tests. An avian doctor may also be able to do that.