are hatcheries all like this?

[funnyfarmmom]

So as of right now out of 23 chicks I have 11 left. 20 were purchased at the above hatchery, 3 from the feed store and put in the brooder before I really realized there was a problem. All 3 from the feed store are gone and I have never lost a feed store chick. The other 9 were the hatchery chicks. Nearly 50% death rate. The owner of the hatchery did offer to replace the chicks Ive lost but I chose not to get any more because I didnt want to bring any more disease home. She hasnt offeren any type of refund and I havent asked. Im just chalking it up to a lesson learned. Im still doing the best I can for the surviving chicks but at this point Im not really expecting any to live.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

So as of right now out of 23 chicks I have 11 left. 20 were purchased at the above hatchery, 3 from the feed store and put in the brooder before I really realized there was a problem. All 3 from the feed store are gone and I have never lost a feed store chick. The other 9 were the hatchery chicks. Nearly 50% death rate. The owner of the hatchery did offer to replace the chicks Ive lost but I chose not to get any more because I didnt want to bring any more disease home. She hasnt offeren any type of refund and I havent asked. Im just chalking it up to a lesson learned. Im still doing the best I can for the surviving chicks but at this point Im not really expecting any to live.

Just a mess all around

*I* would be hard pressed to want to maintain these birds long-term out of concern of infecting future flock-mates and creating a perpetuating situation of illness and disease. Have you determined just what you are dealing with as far as the disease? A necropsy might not be a bad idea - and I would not move any birds that might happen to live out of the brooder/into a situation where they mingle with ANY other birds until results are known and then decide from there. You also will need to exercise STRICT bio-security measures in the meantime to keep yourself from carrying any infection to any other birds you have.

 

[funnyfarmmom]

I dont even know where to begin on sending one off for a necropsy. Purdue University is the nearest ag-type school but I only know where the extension office is.

Bio-security: We are doing the best we can there. We wear different shoes and change our clothing between the chicks and the adults. Lots of handwashing. Feed comes from two different containers not near each other.

I suspect the chicks have cocci. When I went to change their bedding this morning there was some bloody stool. Ive inspected each one for lice and mites, nothing. Quite a few also keep getting pasty butts. Theres been no respiratory symptoms that I have seen. Beyond that I have no clue what else to look for.

 

[N F C]

I'm so sorry you are having to go through this. Getting new chicks should be fun, not a death watch. I hope you figure out what is causing it.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

https://www.addl.purdue.edu/
https://www.addl.purdue.edu/SampleSubmission/Avian.aspx

 

[funnyfarmmom]

Thank you! I had just packed one up right before you posted this, so Im ready. I tried googling but couldnt find any info. I just started Corrid for the remaining chicks. Hopefully it helps. I also dumped all their bedding, disinfected the brooder, waterers, and feeders before refilling everything and adding the corrid. Should I start Corrid on my older chickens too?

Thanks to you as well NorthFLchick .

 

[funnyfarmmom]

Update:

I ended up not doing the necropsy because it costs $175. Hubby said not for a batch of $40 chicks. So on last Monday I finally saw a little bloody stool in the brooder. Started dosing them with Corid and havent lost anymore since! I went ahead and gave my other birds the preventive dose just to be on the safe side. The owner of the hatchery still maintains that they havent lost any more chicks than usual but she has offered to replace all 11 that I lost. I havent taken her up on it because I dont want to bring anymore sick chicks home, or expose healthy new chicks to the cocci. Anyway, the ones I have are now racing around the brooder, playing keep away, and eating like little piglets . So my recommendation for anyone buying from this hatchery would be to have Corid on hand and immediately start dosing the chicks. And if you do have a problem and need to contact her, give her lots of time to respond as she has a lot of other things going on too. I personally wont buy from them again. Its not worth it to me.

 

[N F C]

Sorry about all the chicks you lost but very happy to hear the remaining ones are doing well. Good call on not replacing your loss from the same place.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

If you decide to put off adding to your flock I am thinking of placing a pretty decent sized order in the spring -- you can always add some birds to that to work around the minimum order/minimum birds of each breed issues that can come up when considering ordering for yourself --- not sure if mail order hatchery birds are the type you're looking for, but something to consider.

 

[funnyfarmmom]

If you decide to put off adding to your flock I am thinking of placing a pretty decent sized order in the spring -- you can always add some birds to that to work around the minimum order/minimum birds of each breed issues that can come up when considering ordering for yourself --- not sure if mail order hatchery birds are the type you're looking for, but something to consider.

Thank you very much! I was going to wait until spring anyhow to see what I end up with here. I had wanted 5 BO pullets and 5 BR pullets and a roo. The hatchery only offered straight run so I bought 10 of each.Now watch all the ones I have left be boys