At Wits End

[texasdixiechick]

We have been hatching eggs since August with good success and only a few babies that didn't make it. We breed Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks primarily. In the past 2 weeks, we have hatched probably 40 Rhode Island Reds and have lost 10 or more of them. We have not lost any Barred Rocks. We are not doing anything different and can't figure out why we are losing these chicks.

We have about 20 chicks in one brooder and 25 in another. Our brooders are 6 feet long with a lamp at one end so that the chicks can get away from the lamp. We always clean out our brooders with bleach water. The chicks are fed medicated feed and electrolytes and vitamins are in their water. Pine shavings on the floor of the brooder. I religiously go down there to the brood room just about every 2 hours to make sure there are no shavings in the water, etc.

If we were losing Barred Rocks too, it would make more sense but we have not lost any BR's.

Does anyone have any ideas? HELP!!!!

 

[PunkinPeep]

How are you losing the chicks? I mean how do you find them and what are their ages when they die, etc.? We don't have much to go on yet. Are they in one brooder or the other or does it matter?

 

[texasdixiechick]

They will be fine and then the next day you will find them just lying dead on the floor of the brooder. Nothing visibly wrong with them that you can see with the naked eye. Losing them out of both brooders. It's just weird that they are mostly Rhode Island Reds. The Reds are 2 weeks old or a little less. The Buckeyes are not yet 1 week old. We have lost 3 Buckeyes out of 14.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Are they eating their shavings and do you give them grit? I am just trying to grasp at straws here- I don't know if that could be a problem or not. I always give grit on day 3 because I worry about them eating the shavings. I know a lot of people say you don't have to give them grit when they are on crumbles.

Please take this with a grain of salt....

I'm so sorry for your loss and this is the only thing I could think of to ask...