Sudden Chick Deaths 2 night in a row

[Six Chickies]

Help! 5 days ago I bought 12 day old to week old chicks. 11 are ameraucanas, 1 is an isbar. The past 2 nights, I've been greeted by a cold, flat, DEAD ameraucana chick on the floor of the pen! What could it be thy is killing them! Please help me!

 

[cafarmgirl]

What are they eating? What is the temp in their brooder? How much space do they have? Any symptoms the day before such as standing around fluffed up, sleeping a lot, not eating/drinking? Coccidiosis is a very common chick killer but there are a lot of other variables we need to know about, need more info.

 

[Eggcessive]

What do you mean by flat? As in squashed flat? Or just dead and lying there? Do they have enough room and are they pecking each other? Do you have them on chick starter/grower that is 18-20 % protein, medicated or unmedicated? Any heat lamp? Plenty of water? They are still at the age when coccidiosis can be a problem, and since they just arrived they could have that.

 

[Six Chickies]

What are they eating?  What is the temp in their brooder? How much space do they have?  Any symptoms the day before such as standing around fluffed up, sleeping a lot, not eating/drinking?  Coccidiosis is a very common chick killer but there are a lot of other variables we need to know about, need more info.

They are eating Rolling Acres chick starter, which has 18% crude protein, and I'm not sure about it being medicated, so it probably is. I don't have a thermometer in with them. They have about 2' by 3', although I let them out during the day to scratch on the floor in front of their cage. They are in the barn. The one was very unexpected. It had only been here for 2 days, so we didn't really notice any symptoms. But the one that died last night was chirping SO loud, almost constantly. I thought it might be constipated so I brought it in and washed its bum, it had a couple of big poops and it seemed to be doing better, but obviously not. The one that died last night was reluctant to eat/drink, but it was also reluctant to sleep. And it chirped really loud, all the time.

What do you mean by flat?  As in squashed flat?  Or just dead and lying there?  Do they have enough room and are they pecking each other?  Do you have them on chick starter/grower that is 18-20 % protein, medicated or unmedicated?  Any heat lamp?  Plenty of water?  They are still at the age when coccidiosis can be a problem, and since they just arrived they could have that.  

By flat I mean their stomachs were as flat as the floor. Our first thoughts were suffocation, because it was in their shelter, but we took the shelter out after that, and this one died as well. They were both stiff, from being dead, but one leg was out, and one was tucked under. Their necks were at odd angles. No heat lamp, but at night we put a thick blanket over them. We also have some 2 1/2 - 5 week old serama chicks to give them warmth at night. I try to make sure they always have water, but they scratch stuff into it, and fill/gunk it up. :/
Some of them are starting to develop pasty butt if that helps diagnosis.
Thank you for replying so fast cafarmgirl and eggcessive.

 

[Six Chickies]

Also, the smallest, has one of the worst pasty butts, and will stand there and chirp with her eyes closed. I think she is trying to poo, but nothing comes out. Many if their crops feel squishy, like stuff is rotting...
Again, thank you for your quick responses!

 

[Six Chickies]

I have Braggs Apple Cider vinegar in their water.

 

[Sjisty]

They need warmth. I don't know how cold it gets at night there, but they have to be kept warm, at least in the mid 90's. If too cold, they will cry all the time. They also won't be able to empty their crops. If they aren't kept warm enough, it just causes problem after problem. I would up the heat for them and give them some Corid in their water because the next thing they get will be coccidiosis.

 

[Six Chickies]

Ok. I will try to install a heat lamp, but they are in the barn, and it could light hay and straw on fire. I might be able to bring them inside, but they take a lot of space. I will look into places near me that have Corid. It doesn't get too cold here, lowest maybe 14*C at night.(And that would be a night after a rain)

 

[Six Chickies]

These are the first day old chicks I have ever bought. (I had some earlier this spring that I hatched, but they were killed by raccoons), so I have really know clue what to expect, and we drove an hour and a half to get them. I don't think I will be sleeping at all tonight. Can Coccidiosis be passed from chicken to chicken? Like chick to rooster?

 

[popsicle]

Try to help any with bad pasty butt. You can search here for how to help it. Basically you want a warm wet rag and try to soften and then remove the mass enough so she can poop--then make sure they are warm after that if they get a little wet.