What the heck!?! 24 chicks dead- Any ideas appreciated

[kjanda]

So I ordered 30 Welsummer chicks from Cackle Hatchery on May 7th. Had a few die the first few days in the brooder box but 24 were very healthy (5 cockerels, 19 pullets at this point). Raised them 2 weeks in brooder box, then moved them outside this third week into a simple cage with chicken wire, wire "roof", and plywood on top and side for shade/shelter. I've raised chicks here before with no issues. Been feeding Du-Mor Starter 24% 3 times a day in one of those generic red feeders. 2 separate waterers that I filled when needed, usually 3 times a day. Left a heat lamp on in the corner at night and cut it off in the morning. This morning like any other fed and watered them and they were fine. Come home at noon for lunch and all but 2 are dead, stiff even. The 2 still alive are hanging on by a thread. Some were close together but also some were scattered in the cage. The food was empty except for crumbs (like usual), a water dish was turned over and the other had very little. There were lots of flies already and the day before there were several flies but being near the coop it's nothing unusual. Friday through Tuesday we got quite a bit of rain, about 4 inches. It's only about 85 degrees now. What in the sam hill could've killed all of them in such a short time frame? I've thought of seemingly everything... Always had plenty of food, water, warmth. Too much food? Too little water? Too hot? What predator could've got in? Nothing bigger than a snake and the bodies seemed perfectly intact so snake could have tried to swallow them and suffocated them as I've had happen before, but all 2 dozen?? Within a few hours time? Ok maybe disease. I wasn't giving them medicated feed (would have but smallest I could get in my town was a 50 lb sack). Even if some disease, they all die so soon? I am completely stumped and obviously p.o.ed. The other animals are all fine: goats, dog, guineas, 22 chickens. I keep thinking about the rain... clearly they didn't drown because we haven't had any significant rain since Tuesday. But maybe the wet ground made for bacteria or something? I thought about taking a few to the vet and see if they could test them for disease or if they had any ideas. Haven't had this happen before and am quite vexed. Any help appreciated. Thanks

 

[kjanda]

I called the hatchery and they think it could've been coccidiosis caused by a variance in temperature with the heat lamp at night and sun during the day. I'm skeptical of that because like I said it's pretty warm during the days I've had them out there (85-90 degrees) and with the heat lamp in the corner they can move closer to or further from the heat lamp. Also I'm not sure that they would all die within a 4 hour time span like that. I asked a couple other folks and they're stumped as well. We've considered contaminated food/water but the food is kept dry in a sealed container and is the same kind I've been feeding for a long time. The water is the same of course and I clean the bowls when it calls for it, usually every second or third day. One guy even suggested they got electrocuted from the wet ground and heat lamp somehow. Right now no idea sounds strange to me

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Coccidiosis is a definite suspect especially with 4 inches of rain but so is fungal poisoning especially Aspergillus and Penicillum both of which grow on wet gains like wheat, barley and corn. Another suspect is Botulism. Depending on the dose ingested, Botulism can kill an adult human by paralyses in anywhere from an hour to a day and a half.

Botulism can only grow and reproduce in the absence of Oxygen and all you need do to die is to ingest a very small amount of the toxic by product of the Botulism Bacterium. Botulism is a serious problem in waterfowl especially wild puddle ducks because the shallow water they dabble and feed in can exclude Oxygen and setup conditions for Botulism to break dormancy and thrive. BTW, Botulism like so many other illnesses of both humans and fowl is everywhere around us and in every teaspoonful of dirt that we touch.

Hey kjandra, I have three children, I have fed them off, and they have all their shots, vaccinations, and teeth. I'll trade you 3 for 1! The baby is precious.

 

[kjanda]

Thanks for the info! I don't think the feed got wet because it was sealed in a container and when I put it in the feeder it was under a plywood "roof". When you mentioned botulism I thought that was associated with flies/maggots. A little research later and it seems like the wet soil and maggots could have infected them. It says they need lots of water if they're infected so that might explain the near empty water dish. And like you say if they can die anywhere from an hour to a day and a half that would make sense, especially being they are only 3 wk old chicks. I've got fly ribbons up but there are still lots of flies. I really think that's what did it. I appreciate the help. Next time I guess I'll have to get them out of the damp soil onto pine shavings, paper towels, etc. At least it doesn't seem like medicated feed would've helped. I think that's really for cocci.

Thanks! That's our sweet little Sophie Rose. About 2 1/2 months now.

 

[aatx]

Could any of them have gotten wet when the waterer turned over?

 

[kjanda]

Probably just their feet if anything. It was low to the ground. One was hanging on the fence and this one was short and long on the ground.