Rock Cornish Mortality

[tnchicken]

I am new to BYC but this is a great forum!

I have raised Rock Cornish X for several years now but am experiencing a higher than normal mortality rate (>25% so far). The birds came from Mt. Healthy as I had good luck with them last year. At around 4 weeks, some of the birds just started falling over dead (now at 5-1/2 wks). There are several that were smaller and may be hens (they were all supposed to be cockerels). It is only the small birds that are doing this. After speaking with Mt. Healthy, they do not know for sure but suspect heart attacks. If so, it seems like the larger birds would be the ones expiring. I have fed them per Mt. Healthy's recommendation of 23% protein for the 1st three weeks and 20% afterwards. Is this just a bad batch of birds or something else? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

what is wrong they are at the age when they die of heart attack aka water belly or asacities
Hot humid weather makes things worse for the heavy broilers You may move them to a cooler part on grass in the midday. Put apple cider Vinegar in the water @ 2 tbsp per gallon of water starting with week 6 till finish.

This is not the cure but will reduce heart attacks by 50% under normal conditions.

What you have to do is put the broilers on feed restriction immediatly

feed at 6AM and 2 PM and no more feed for the day

they are eating themselves to death

they get water up around the heart and die

too bad the hatchery didn't tell you this at3 weeks of age
you would not have lost so many

you have them on high protein rate

I always used 16% and they do not die as easily

so please restricted their feed intake immediatly

email me PM for more help

I would use the 2 PM feed ration for some natural probiotic wet mash
email me and will give you the recipe