Cornish chicks dying like crazy help!

[gypsygirl1421]

Got a batch of 100 on thurs. Have them set up with two lamps and 2 waterers. As soon as they got out of the box they started drowning themselves in water. Now they aren't fluffy anymore but they are dry and at 90 degrees but are still dying. They are in a brooder with wire floor. Have lost 30 so far and they are still dying. We used the same set up a last year and never had a problem b4. Is it the humidity? Help please!

 

[scubaforlife]

Are they gathering under the lights, or packing into the corners?

Have you given them vitamins?

Take a look at the birds that are in there, anyone dragging feet? Panting?

What kind of feed?

 

[CoopCrazy]

Also drafts may be a problem .. I too brood my meaties on wire and had some losses to drafts in the garage

 

[mstricer]

Where did you get them from? Is the water in bowls or a waterer?

 

[SteveH]

Sorry that you're having such losses . It's really hard to say the possible cause with so little to go on , but day olds should not have a waterer that they can climb in and drown . Its possible the heavy losses are due to the initial dunking in water . What I do is place some cleaned granite rocks in the drinker so they only have access to the water in the little spaces between the rocks ; I've read of others using glass marbles and they would be easier to sanitize .

 

[swtangel321]

Any bloody poops ? Seems unlikely it would be cocci but you never know... maybe from the shipping stress. You could take a poop sample to your vet for testing.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Quote:
I was going to say exactly the same.
plus I would add that it sounds like they may have got heat stressed during shipping, thus the run for the water. add electrolytes or give the reamining ones some gatorade for a day and then follow up with vitamins in the water for a few days after.

 

[mstricer]

Gatorade works great. When my FR got stuck at PO for 2 1/2 days. In a box that was wet and poopie. I gave them Gatorade a for the first day and only lost two right after picking up.

 

[chickensrfood]

Are they doing better?