6 week old AC chicks drop dead

[PTR]

My two Ayam Cemani chicks dropped dead, and I don’t know why.

One dropped dead last Thursday, and she was acting fine on Wednesday. She was eating and drinking and running around with her sister and EE brother.

I found my only other AC chick dead this morning. She was fine yesterday. She was eating mealworms out of my hand and was hanging out with her momma and EE brother.

The EE is fine and growing. I’ll be keeping a close eye on him.

I put the one I found today in a freezer (it doesn’t freeze things very well. It’s more like a fridge. Mom won’t let me put the chick in the fridge.)
I’m planning on doing a necropsy on her in a little bit. I’ve never done one, so any suggestions would be appreciated. Mom doesn’t want me to do one, but I want to be a vet, so I need to learn how to do one anyways.

I checked all of my chickens poops. They all look good. Food and water is clean. They get fresh food and water every day.
They get Rooster Boost in their water every other day.
Neither chick had any injuries on them.

I believe that @TesoroSena’s AC’s also dropped dead around the same age, and her friends’ AC’s did too?

If there is not enough info, let me know.

 

[Eggcessive]

Could a weasel get into your coop through an inch opening? They can suffocate a chicken, and can get through a large crack in a door or wire fencing. Sorry for your loss. Post any pictures of your chick’s organs when you do the necropsy. Someone might have some suggestions. Look at the intestines for signs of coccidiosis. Be careful not to freeze the body. It might be better to wrap it in 2 new garbage bags and place it in a cooler on ice.

 

[PTR]

Could a weasel get into your coop through an inch opening? They can suffocate a chicken, and can get through a large crack in a door or wire fencing. Sorry for your loss. Post any pictures of your chick’s organs when you do the necropsy. Someone might have some suggestions. Look at the intestines for signs of coccidiosis. Be careful not to freeze the body. It might be better to wrap it in 2 new garbage bags and place it in a cooler on ice.

No, a weasel can’t get in. I’ve checked every corner for any place a pest could get in or for any animal.

Ah, I’ll do that right now. I have a little cooler that I can use.

 

[Eggcessive]

This is a good video on doing a necropsy where the organs are identified:

 

[GlicksChicks]

It is very sad to lose chickens. It could be bad genetics due to inbreeding from whoever you got them from. Did the other person you mention get their AC from the same breeder?

 

[Eggcessive]

Also here is a link with pictures of what coccidiosis can look like during a necropsy:
https://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/diseases-of-poultry/206/coccidiosis

 

[PTR]

It is very sad to lose chickens. It could be bad genetics due to inbreeding from whoever you got them from. Did the other person you mention get their AC from the same breeder?

I was thinking that it could be from genetics.

No, @TesoroSena lives in Tennessee. I remember her saying something about it on a thread that I talk to her on.

I got mine from a good friend who sold me eggs. She hatched her own eggs around the same time, and another good friend bought AC eggs from her. I’m going to reach out to them and see if theirs have dropped dead too.

 

[GlicksChicks]

I was thinking that it could be from genetics.

No, @TesoroSena lives in Tennessee. I remember her saying something about it on a thread that I talk to her on.

I got mine from a good friend who sold me eggs. She hatched her own eggs around the same time, and another good friend bought AC eggs from her. I’m going to reach out to them and see if theirs have dropped dead too.

In the process of getting pure black ACs, there is alot of inbreeding going on and that causes many defects, whether it be physical or health-wise.

It would definitely be good to contact them!

 

[TesoroSena]

My two Ayam Cemani chicks dropped dead, and I don’t know why.

One dropped dead last Thursday, and she was acting fine on Wednesday. She was eating and drinking and running around with her sister and EE brother.

I found my only other AC chick dead this morning. She was fine yesterday. She was eating mealworms out of my hand and was hanging out with her momma and EE brother.

The EE is fine and growing. I’ll be keeping a close eye on him.

I put the one I found today in a freezer (it doesn’t freeze things very well. It’s more like a fridge. Mom won’t let me put the chick in the fridge.)
I’m planning on doing a necropsy on her in a little bit. I’ve never done one, so any suggestions would be appreciated. Mom doesn’t want me to do one, but I want to be a vet, so I need to learn how to do one anyways.

I checked all of my chickens poops. They all look good. Food and water is clean. They get fresh food and water every day.
They get Rooster Boost in their water every other day.
Neither chick had any injuries on them.

I believe that @TesoroSena’s AC’s also dropped dead around the same age, and her friends’ AC’s did too?

If there is not enough info, let me know.
View attachment 3854452View attachment 3854453View attachment 3854454

My situation was almost exact to yours, and my ACs looked exactly like they when I found them in the morning, curled back almost like they had a seizure.

 

[TesoroSena]

In the process of getting pure black ACs, there is alot of inbreeding going on and that causes many defects, whether it be physical or health-wise.

It would definitely be good to contact them!

I contacted mine and they gave me compensation ones, but only after trying to pin the death on me. Do you think that could be the reason they tried to pin it on me?