Welsummer mortality rate high?

[Jayzandra]

I was wondering if anyone else has a hard time with Welsummer chicks? We've tried several years and several hatcheris and Welsummers just seem to not be as hardy. We never have this much mortality with any other breed, and we've had at least 30 or 40 different breeds through the years. From Sultans, and Ameraucana to legbars and Appenzellers. Every time we get Welsummers they don't have a very good survival rate. This latest batch we ordered 15 and have 11 left. 1 was DOA. They're a week old. We also ordered 15 brahma, 5 cornish cross and 10 BBW turkeys, all of which are perfectly fine. They're all in the same brooder. I just don't get it.

 

[cherrynberry]

I was wondering if anyone else has a hard time with Welsummer chicks? We've tried several years and several hatcheris and Welsummers just seem to not be as hardy. We never have this much mortality with any other breed, and we've had at least 30 or 40 different breeds through the years. From Sultans, and Ameraucana to legbars and Appenzellers. Every time we get Welsummers they don't have a very good survival rate.

I have never has issues with my Wellies, but I only have a few.

This latest batch we ordered 15 and have 11 left. 1 was DOA. They're a week old. We also ordered 15 brahma, 5 cornish cross and 10 BBW turkeys, all of which are perfectly fine. They're all in the same brooder. I just don't get it.

What are they dying from? As in...any symptoms before death? That brooder must be huge!

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

I have had problems and simpliy it think that I didnt give them extra electrolyte the first week. Are you doing that? And I have notice that they also are kinda dumb so watch them closely with temps.

 

[Jayzandra]

I have never has issues with my Wellies, but I only have a few.

What are they dying from? As in...any symptoms before death? That brooder must be huge!

The brooder is roughly about 4ft by 3ft. The symptoms are just they get lethargic then stop eating and drinking. Then they die.

 

[Jayzandra]

I have had problems and simpliy it think that I didnt give them extra electrolyte the first week. Are you doing that? And I have notice that they also are kinda dumb so watch them closely with temps.

Yes, I put save-a-chick in the water. And temps are good. There's also a cool side and a hot side so they can choose which temp they prefer. Turkey poults are super dumb, which is why we always put them with chicks. The chicks teach them how to not die. And the poults are doing great, as well as the broilers and the brahmas.
I've raised many chicks for many years and it's only the welsummers that I have issues with. I just don't understand why.

 

[cherrynberry]

The brooder is roughly about 4ft by 3ft. The symptoms are just they get lethargic then stop eating and drinking. Then they die.

That is WAY too small for the amount of birds you have. It can be a lot of things, including a possible disease. Do they seem to be constipated? How are their stools? What exactly are you feeding? I don’t own turkeys, so I’m not sure if they can eat the same starter feed. Pictures would be helpful.

Tagging some more experienced members. @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Every time we get Welsummers they don't have a very good survival rate. This latest batch we ordered 15 and have 11 left. 1 was DOA. They're a week old. We also ordered 15 brahma, 5 cornish cross and 10 BBW turkeys, all of which are perfectly fine. They're all in the same brooder.

The symptoms are just they get lethargic then stop eating and drinking. Then they die.

I'm not sure what is going on if it's only one specific breed. Maybe poor genetics?

Try brooding them in their own brooder instead of with a mix of chicks and Poults, see if that makes any difference.

Lethargy, not eating/drinking can be a number of things. You don't mention that age of the chicks when they start exhibiting symptoms (or I missed that). Coccidiosis comes to mind or perhaps, the Welsummers just are not assertive enough to get to food/water(?).

Do you normally raise that many chicks in that sized brooder?

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree that the brooder was way too small for all of those birds. They fit in a brooder like that at feed stores, but double and triple in size weekly, and with meat birds and poults mixed in, they are going to be much larger. The poop problem would be enormous even in the first week. Sorry that you are having problems with welsummers. Genetics with chicks at hatcheries varies a lot. I ordered 2 from a hatchery, only got one, and it laid bloody eggs then stopped altogether at a year of age.

 

[Jayzandra]

I'm not sure what is going on if it's only one specific breed. Maybe poor genetics?

Try brooding them in their own brooder instead of with a mix of chicks and Poults, see if that makes any difference.

Lethargy, not eating/drinking can be a number of things. You don't mention that age of the chicks when they start exhibiting symptoms (or I missed that). Coccidiosis comes to mind or perhaps, the Welsummers just are not assertive enough to get to food/water(?).

Do you normally raise that many chicks in that sized brooder?

One arrived already dead. They were 2 days old when they arrived. One died the day after we got them. Then another the next day, then another the next day. And one yesterday.
We have raised several large batches of chicks, poults, and ducklings in this brooder. Most of the time we hatch our own and sell some. We've tried several different hatcheries to get welsummers and they always exhibit the same die off. We do have a couple grown ones that have survived from previous batches, but we want to hatch our own and couldn't find a rooster, so we ordered 15 straight run in the hopes we'd get a decent sized flock.
So with yesterday's death we're down to 10 welsummer chicks. At this time everyone looks happy and healthy, but who knows what will happen tomorrow.

 

[Jayzandra]

That is WAY too small for the amount of birds you have. It can be a lot of things, including a possible disease. Do they seem to be constipated? How are their stools? What exactly are you feeding? I don’t own turkeys, so I’m not sure if they can eat the same starter feed. Pictures would be helpful.

Tagging some more experienced members. @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive

We always raise our chicks, poults and ducks in this brooder until they're a couple weeks old, then move them to a grow out pen with a heat lamp. We live in Arizona, so it's already quite warm.
It is literally only the welsummers that are dying. And it's always only the welsummers that die.
They're eating non medicated chick starter. We have always kept our turkeys, ducks and chickens together. Everyone does great. Except the welsummers.
No poopy butts. Poop looks good. I can get a picture a little later. As soon as I go outside the cows and pigs will start yelling for attention, so I'll get the pic when I got out to do my evening chores.