All chicks Suddenly dying

[taylacline]

I've had our chicks for about a week. They seem to be doing fine up until I came in and noticed one of my smallest chicks had been trampled. By the time I removed her from the brooder I saw another chick laying on her side. I scooped her up and noticed she was gasping. Within a few seconds she started having convulsions and died in my hand. Then one right after the other I had 3 more gasp, convulse, and die all with in a few minutes from each other. In a matter of minutes all of my chicks suddenly died but one. But she hasn't moved from her spot. Im not sure what happened. They were all fine just a few hours prior.

Update: after talking to two experienced chicken owners they seem to think the brooder was too hot based off how they died. Thanks for all the advice though

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

what kind of brooder do you use? Do you use a heating pad or heat lamp? what do you use for bedding? @casportpony @azygous @Eggcessive
sorry for your losses

 

[SilverBirds]

What are you using as a brooder? What bedding are you using? Anything that you changed in or around their brooder?

 

[nuthatched]

Any febreeze, air freshener, Teflon?

 

[MixedFlock23]

I'm so sorry! I read this thread with a similar story: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/all-my-chicks-died-in-20-minutes.1518094/
Maybe there is something poisoning their air?

 

[Tonyroo]

More information about your setup, feed, and location of the brooder is required to pin point what might be the cause.

 

[taylacline]

what kind of brooder do you use? Do you use a heating pad or heat lamp? what do you use for bedding? @casportpony @azygous @Eggcessive
sorry for your losses

We have a heat lamp, and pine shavings. I have them in our guest bathtub with the headlamp on the shower rod. I have it raised pretty high because its pretty warm and we have the vents open to keep the air flow circulating in the bathroom. They never seemed cold, huddled together directly under the lamp. But not always opposite of the lamp either.

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

are there any air fresheners in the bathroom?

 

[azygous]

When multiple baby chicks die all at once, the cause is usually environmental, not pathological. (Illness)

Environmental causes of chick mortality:

Brooder too hot or too cold
Water contaminated, usually unfiltered well water.
Moldy feed
Insecticide use near chicks
Air pollution from adjacent human activity (work shop, auto shop)
Improper food, usually undigestible without chick grit

 

[taylacline]

More information about your setup, feed, and location of the brooder is required to pin point what might be the cause.

We just use what RK recommended Naturewise chickstarter