- Jul 12, 2012
- 2
- 0
- 7
Hi all, I was hoping for a little advice about my newly acquired chicks that are dying for no apparent reason. I received 27 chicks in the mail on Monday morning and picked them up immediately. It is Wednesday morning and four of them are dead (2 on Tuesday and 2 this morning). I contacted the hatchery yesterday and they said that it was normal to lose a couple of chicks in shipping but I don't feel that this is a failure to thrive issue. Prior to dying all chicks looked vibrant, were eating and drinking like little piggies and zooming around the brooder. Suddenly a chick will start to appear drowsy, sluggish, unable to walk very well (tottering or falling over) and they just want to sleep. Within 12 hours they are dead.
They were all inspected for pasty butt and had there beaks dipped in water before going into the brooder and all appeared unscathed by the trip. They were all vaccinated for Mareks and Coccio. I feed organic, non-medicated feed, plus Quick Chick electrolyte/vitamin solution in their water with unfiltered ACV. They have a brooder box built out of wood planks that is about 5 ft long by 2' wide. I keep the red heat lamp toward one end so they have plenty of room to move away. I have kept the temp around 95 degrees under the lamp. They have never seemed uncomfortable, either too hot or cold, and I can find them evenly distributed throughout the brooder. I spread food grade diatomaceous earth underneath their bedding (they were on newspaper but I just changed over to pine shavings yesterday) to keep the insects away. I change their water 2 or 3 times daily and they have access to 2 feeders and 2 waterers. The brooder is in our shop which is fully insulated and free of drafts, etc.
I have raised chicks before and I can't think of anything that I am doing wrong so I am COMPLETELY stumped. I would like to have the chicks tested (I kept the last 2 bodies in the refrigerator) but have no idea where to go. I hate walking in and finding a dead chick every time.
Does anyone have any theories on what could be happening or what I should do?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts
They were all inspected for pasty butt and had there beaks dipped in water before going into the brooder and all appeared unscathed by the trip. They were all vaccinated for Mareks and Coccio. I feed organic, non-medicated feed, plus Quick Chick electrolyte/vitamin solution in their water with unfiltered ACV. They have a brooder box built out of wood planks that is about 5 ft long by 2' wide. I keep the red heat lamp toward one end so they have plenty of room to move away. I have kept the temp around 95 degrees under the lamp. They have never seemed uncomfortable, either too hot or cold, and I can find them evenly distributed throughout the brooder. I spread food grade diatomaceous earth underneath their bedding (they were on newspaper but I just changed over to pine shavings yesterday) to keep the insects away. I change their water 2 or 3 times daily and they have access to 2 feeders and 2 waterers. The brooder is in our shop which is fully insulated and free of drafts, etc.
I have raised chicks before and I can't think of anything that I am doing wrong so I am COMPLETELY stumped. I would like to have the chicks tested (I kept the last 2 bodies in the refrigerator) but have no idea where to go. I hate walking in and finding a dead chick every time.
Does anyone have any theories on what could be happening or what I should do?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts
