6 out of 14 chicks suddenly died all at the same time.....please help

[jaymarson]

ok guys I just joined and I've desperately searched the web while one after one chick died. so here is the story, About an hour ago I cleaned my chicks brooder and put them back. I then continued with my choirs and about 10 minutes later I gave them a little shredded ice-berg lettuce as a treat (they are 3 weeks old). About 10 minutes after that I here a peep (the kind they do when they are lost) so I rush into the room and see one chick flopping in it death throws. I panic and assume it is choking and begin to look in it mouth and massage it's crop. After I realized it was gone I rush back in to get the lettuce out before more eat it. I find 2 chicks laying on their side and try to help but after a few mins they just lay over on their sides and soon after start the death throws as well. I start picking the lethargic chicks out of the brooder and try and massage the crop and give them water as I had the rest but another 3 rapidly go from looking like sleeping chicks to dead within minutes. I guess my questions are
1. did the lettuce kill them that quick? (also note that all were active and well when I handled them only 20 mins earlier when I cleaned their brooder.)
2. could cleaning the brooder out stirred up too much dust and caused this?
3. what are the symptoms of a choking chick?

any help or suggestions would be appreciated. If it wasn't the lettuce I just want to know what it should or could do to prevent the death of my remaining 8 chicks. thanks

 

[PAchicks007]

So sorry this happened to you

Did you use a chemical cleaner to clean out the brooder? Seems odd to think that lettuce could do that.

 

[jaymarson]

nope no chemical cleaner of any sort. I've been looking at Botulism sense the lettuce had expired 5 days ago but it was still in the fridge. I really don't know if botulism acts that fast thou because it was only like 15 minutes after giving them the lettuce that they started dropping. I just don't know what could affect so many right at the same time all at once like that.

 

[dawg53]

Sounds like cocci to me. Get some Corid in the cattle section at your feed store; corid 9.6% liquid solution, dosage is 9.5cc's per gallon of water. Make it fresh daily and give it to them to drink for 5 days. Do not add anything else into the mixture. Your chicks should only be eating chick starter.
To slow the cocci effects, give them some buttermilk to drink until you can get to the feed store to get the corid.