Brahma Thread

[Papa Brooder]

at what age where they shipped??? if they where day olds i would say they got to cold in transit 11 is not enough to keep warm IMO... if they where older then it could be other things??? you are feeding medicated feed right???
Quote: They were "less than one week old" so that is definitely a possibility. I had been thinking they would be older but there two auctions for same bird type from different sellers and I got confused. Also they were "overnighted" but the USPS delivered them 20 hours late. I just thought it was wierd that even a week later one would die when it had seemed to be eating and drinking fine. I have been feeding the game bird starter as suggested by a local breeder.

 

[heritagehabitatfarms]

i would say they got to cold then... the 1 week mark is what i use as a divider from whether it was the shipping or something I'm doing... i use this on the chicks i hatch out of the incubator as well... if they die in the 1st week then they might not have been right at hatch if after that then its a problem... this year I'm doing good only have lost about 8 in the 1st week and none after that time and I'm getting close to 200 chicks hatched with the oldest about 8 weeks old so far this year...

i would defiantly keep after the seller... i don't think its worth a total refund but maybe a discount on another order... and make sure its 15 or 20 chicks this time...

They were "less than one week old" so that is definitely a possibility. I had been thinking they would be older but there two auctions for same bird type from different sellers and I got confused. Also they were "overnighted" but the USPS delivered them 20 hours late. I just thought it was wierd that even a week later one would die when it had seemed to be eating and drinking fine. I have been feeding the game bird starter as suggested by a local breeder.

 

[Sjisty]

In answer to your other question, I feed my chicks medicated chick starter and have never had a problem with it for the 5 or so years I have been raising Brahmas. Good luck with your chicks!

 

[pgpoultry]

I've kept Brahmas for years and have only ever used normal chick starter, and they have grown into huge birds (Admittedly they have huge parents and free range from a few weeks of age).

In Britain only special couriers are licensed to ship live organisms and the cost is prohibitively expensive, so it very rarely happens. If the chicks were young and heat requiring, the external temperature low, the chicks not well, inadequate air supply, delayed shipping, or any combination of those factors, then survival through the post may have been compromised.

Sorry to hear that you have had such bad luck.

 

[Tim63]

Gamebird starter is typically about 26-27% protien, TOO much for most chicks. Were you feeding your 60 chicks that did not die the same feed? That might give you a clue. I feed my adult birds 20% gamebird breeder ration. The pasty butt might be an indication the high protein was more than they could handle. Regular medicated chick starter is just fine. Thats the main reason I stopped selling eggs. Its always the sellers fault when an egg does not hatch or a chick dies. Buyers NEVER do anything stupid. JMHO

Tim

 

[big medicine]

I've been told mixing some "Vitamins and Electrolytes" powder into their drinking water can help with pasty butt, listless chicks. Surely would not hurt.

I use medicated chick starter.

 

[Petvet12]

Improperly lighting the chick can cause a lot of this problem. It can cause chicks to get backed up and droopyness. I have helped friends with their lighting and the problems have gone away. Feed can also be a problem. If it is too harsh it could plug them up. Just a thought. Hope it gets solved.

 

[TomNY]

I have seen chicks fed 28% gamebird starter for their entire brooding. Excess protein causes curly feathers. If the chicks were free-ranging with a hen and eating a lot of insects their protein intake could be higher than 28%. Chilling and coccidiosis are the most common causes of pasting. Chilling can also stress them enough that the therapeutic level of amprolium in the feed may not be enough to protect them. It's a good practice to use a coccidiostat in the water for any chicks that have been stressed or start pasting. Tom

 

[Summer98]

I've been told mixing some "Vitamins and Electrolytes" powder into their drinking water can help with pasty butt, listless chicks. Surely would not hurt.

I use medicated chick starter.

I'm using the medicated chick starter also. We used a vitamin/electrolyte supplement that was mixed into their water.

 

[brahmapapa]

They were "less than one week old" so that is definitely a possibility. I had been thinking they would be older but there two auctions for same bird type from different sellers and I got confused. Also they were "overnighted" but the USPS delivered them 20 hours late. I just thought it was wierd that even a week later one would die when it had seemed to be eating and drinking fine. I have been feeding the game bird starter as suggested by a local breeder.

My experience has been that if chicks get chilled in shipping, they sometimes get lathargic and just fail to recover or thrive. Its not wise for a seller to ship such a small quantity without a heat pack if there is any chance if chilly weather. Really sorry for your less than stellar start with Brahmas, i think that you will really enjoy them.......good luck