10-Week-Old Chickens Dying

bubba1358

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Hey All, So here's the scoop:

I got some day-old chicks from McMurray. Raised them in an incubator for 7 weeks. Let them out on pasture 3 weeks ago. They've been doing great, looking fine - running, pecking, peeping, the whole thing.
None of them have droopy or puffed up looks to them.
There is no bloody poop anywhere.
Their eyes look fine.
Their feed consists of table scraps (berries, grains, limited meats, etc.), a cup of chicken feed a day, and pasture.
They are in an electric net, 75' per side, and enclosed with 3 lambs as well, moved every 2 weeks. They've been in the current one for exactly a week now. It is about 50' from where they were the last two weeks.

Since last Saturday, 5 have died.

3 were RI Reds, one was a black Australorp or Giant (can't tell em apart), and one was the bonus chick rooster, no idea what breed.

I have been trying to figure this out, since each issue could be isolated and unrelated. The first may or may not have been trampled in a chicken ball when I opened the coop last Saturday. The second may or may not have eaten some fruit soaked in alcohol. Two the other day slept under the coop (instead of in it like the rest) and may or may not have died of hypothermia (It's 60 degrees and raining heavily). The one from this morning is a mystery - dead in the coop.

I fed extra yesterday, including ACV in the water and DE and minerals in the food.

Any ideas on what's going on here? Anything else I may have left out?

I can't handle losing more. :(

Thanks
 
Should add a few things:
Had them vaccinated for Marek's and Cocci at McMurray.
The one today was firmly in the coop floor - it's a hardware cloth floor, and it took a bit of effort to pull her out. (another trampling??)

Thanks.
 
Update: This morning, one of my black girls was very weak - struggling to walk and stand up. She looked a little on the puffy side. I got her set aside in a separate brooder box with feed and water, with elctrolytes and DE. I'll keep this thread posted on progress/developments.

Is it cocci?!? There's no bloody poos, ans they were vaccinated against it. They all look so healthy out in the field....

Plz, can any offer some ideas/opinions? Thanks!
 
Update: This morning, one of my black girls was very weak - struggling to walk and stand up. She looked a little on the puffy side. I got her set aside in a separate brooder box with feed and water, with elctrolytes and DE. I'll keep this thread posted on progress/developments.

Is it cocci?!? There's no bloody poos, ans they were vaccinated against it. They all look so healthy out in the field....

Plz, can any offer some ideas/opinions? Thanks!
You didn't by chance give them medicated starter feed? If this is a yes,then vaccination for coccidiosis has been cancelled out. Also double check if chicks where in fact vaccinated for coccidiosis. There is not always blood with cocci,there are 9 strains of cocci,and not all show blood in poop.
 
Thanks. No I specifically got non-medicated feed.

What are some other symptoms of different cocci strains beside blood and poofiness?

Update on the iso'd hen: just checked, she looks a lot perkier. I set her in the sun for a nice clean dry spot. She's looking better now.

Wife thinks they may be underfed. Given the scenario described above with the pasture/scraps/feed routine, is there any credence to that?
 
Thanks. No I specifically got non-medicated feed.

What are some other symptoms of different cocci strains beside blood and poofiness?

Update on the iso'd hen: just checked, she looks a lot perkier. I set her in the sun for a nice clean dry spot. She's looking better now.

Wife thinks they may be underfed. Given the scenario described above with the pasture/scraps/feed routine, is there any credence to that?
Is possible about feeding,chicken feed is specifically designed to give chickens all the nutrients and vitamins they need,when giving scraps as main food source,you run the risk of chickens not getting the proper nutrients. Always keep feed bowls filled,should never be empty.

Some symptoms of Cocci are runny/watery poop(may or may not contain blood)fluffed feathers,lethargic,not eating/drinking properly. My understanding is different Cocci vaccines gives protection from different strains. Some vaccines give protection from 3 strains,while others give protection from 4,5,and 7 strains,one vaccine covers 8 strains that is Coccivac D. Eimeria Acervulina, Eimeria Maxima,Eimeria Mitis,Eimeria Praecox and Eimeria Tenella,these are the most common strains. But Coccidiosis has 9 strains,so some strains i believe are not included in any vaccines(they are not recognized as being completely valid in poultry. This is what i have always understood,if concerned contact hatchery and question them about vaccine was used and what strains of Coccidiosis are included in vaccine,hopefully they will know.

https:journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/surg/article/view/1100/1803

This link has information about vaccines and what stain they cover,hope this helps.
 
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Thanks. The fluffed feathers and lethargy are the only symptoms I see.

We're getting an extra feeder (the guineas have our only one now) and feed tonight.
 
UPDATE: After getting the feeder, I loaded it up with loose minerals, DE, and grower feed. I set it in the coop in the evening, and by mid-day, they had barely taken down 1/3 of it. I don't think it was hunger-related, or they would have eaten the whole thing. They could clear that whole feeder in a day while still in the incubator several weeks ago.

The isolated sicky-poo was put back in GenPop that evening after a day eating a lot of DE-laced feed, some apple-cider vingegar water, and being left in a warm, dry box. I also moved the pen to a new spot. So I do believe it was some type of illness that seems to have killed the weakest 5, or else bizarrely-timed, isolated incidents. Either way, everyone's happy and healthy now.

Thanks for all of the suggestions.
 

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