Baby Chicks ...mass casualties

[Wagnit09]

I had 14 two week old chicks. About 30 minutes ago, we heard some high pitched peeping and went to investigate. A couple chicks were lying down with their beaks in the bedding. Within minutes, more were looking poor and went into death seizures. In the last 30 minutes, 9 have died, 3 are looking weak, and only 2 are still standing.

I am at a complete loss. Temp is good. They have lots of space. Bedding dry. Poop looks good. Plenty of food and water. Both are clean. Nothing has changed in the environment or nutrition. No indicators of anything amiss.

Any idea what may have happened? Suggestions to help prevent this in the future? Suggestions to help the sickly ones and save the healthy ones? Thank you in advance.

 

[rebrascora]

What sort of heat source do you provide and where is the brooder situated? Teflon coated light bulbs can cause death because they give off fumes that are toxic to chickens. Or perhaps if you have the brooder in the kitchen and have been using a Teflon coated pan it might have a similar effect.

 

[Wagnit09]

Red lamp for heat source. Yes, it is in the kitchen/dinning room; located on the far side.

The oven was turned on about an hour before the chicks exhibited issues. Not sure how much it impacted things as I've been cooking and baking regularly since we first got the chicks. We also have carbon monoxide and propane alarms in the vicinity in case of a leak or elevated levels.

 

[SueT]

But what about Teflon cookware? Do you use it, and were you using it ....high temperature causes it to gas off. And do you still have the packaging for the heat bulb? Danger would be "shatter resistant"...
btw, welcome to BYC, sorry it had to start this way, good luck, let us know!
Sue

 

[Wagnit09]

Was baking today. No teflon though. I've used both teflon coated and nonteflon over the last couple weeks regularly with no issue. Not to say it couldn't start now, I guess.

I don't have the packaging for the bulb anymore. It was the recommended red lamp bulb purchased from the feed store. Bought it 2 weeks ago, just a couple days before we bought the chicks.

 

[sdm111]

I've never seen such. What kind of bedding is that

 

[rebrascora]

I will link another post where the OP was suddenly losing a lot of chicks and has just updated with a necropsy result of coccidiosis.... might be worth starting Corid anyway...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...illness-in-a-few.1228700/page-3#post-19710932

 

[SueT]

Here's an article about Teflon/PTFE poisoning. The temp has to be extra high.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/polytetrafluoroethylene-toxicity-in-chickens.73482/

 

[DwayneNLiz]

I don't have the packaging for the bulb anymore. It was the recommended red lamp bulb purchased from the feed store. Bought it 2 weeks ago, just a couple days before we bought the chicks.

it would say shatter-resistant, extra tough or something along those lines, its probably ok if its from the feed store just double check to be sure

i would also start amprolium its very effective and certainly wont hurt them

what are you feeding?

 

[Wagnit09]

it would say shatter-resistant, extra tough or something along those lines, its probably ok if its from the feed store just double check to be sure

i would also start amprolium its very effective and certainly wont hurt them

what are you feeding?

Medicated chick starter. ...believe it is Purina medicated start & grow.