Cornish X seizures?

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We have a flock of Cornish X chickens that are about 1 month old. Since first receiving them we have lost at least 4 to seizures. I will go out and check them and one will be laying on the ground, unable to walk, legs shaking and sporadically kicking the poor bird in circles. I tried separating it and trying to get it to drink or eat, but it can't even control head movement and none of them get better after this set in. I don't know what to do! Is this a disease? Is is just an issue that the breed has? Did I get a bad batch from the hatchery? I have tried searching online for these types of symptoms, but came up empty handed. Please help, I can't keep loosing birds, people have already ordered them!

 

[kuntrygirl]

I don't think that you received a bad batch. Unfortunately, this is what happens with this breed. They are prone to heart and leg problems. They are not bred to live past a certain age. They are meat birds and are bred to live for a short time and then processed. Sounds like yours are not even living to process age. All you can do is to try to keep them cool and keep an eye on them. You may have to process them before you lose all of them. Who has ordered them and when will they be ready to go to those who ordered them?

Sorry to hear about your birds.

 

[[email protected]]

I understand that there is usually a 5-10% mortality. In total, we have lost 13 out of 50. WAY too many. Only 4 most recent exhibited the symptoms I wrote about.

 

[kuntrygirl]

WOW. That's a lot so far to say that they are only 1 month old. What kind of feed are you feeding them? Do you think that they are overheating? Temps here are in the 100's seems like.

 

[Chicken Girl]

I had the same thing happen to me my first batch. Make sure you take the food a way for 12 hrs each night! I know its a lot of work but i have found that it helps. I have 75 this batch. and have only lost 4 so far to this method. lol

Chicken Girl

 

[Bossroo]

The Cornish X is a specialty bird selectively bred to meet market demand for producing the most meat while consuming the least amount of feed for the commercial poultry industry. It is a chicken developed by scientists over 50 years ago through selective crossbreeding different breed lines of chickens for extreamely rapid growth for the broiler industry. They require a rigid protocol of housing, lighting, air and temperature control, feed and water intake to follow for their optimum production. They have achieved their goals as the Cornish X is the most efficient converter of feed to meat in all of chickendom. Millions are produced annually. High mortality rates come into play since most backyard operations try to raise these birds in the same way as any other backyard chicken. Most lack the knowlege and the dollars for their optimum production. This being the case, tweeking is necessary. As the old Scottish saying goes... "The eye of the master fattens the cattle"! ... Overfeeding + genetic propensity for rapid growth + high temperatures = stress and organ overload = high mortality . Limit feed intake to what they can clean up during daylight to slow down growth rate so that the organs can keep up to muscle growth rate. Supply cool water at all times. Shade and air movement to control overheating. In the future, I would also limit my production to the more mild months of the year to limit production costs. I hope that this helps to understand the situation and I wish you luck for a successful harvest.

 

[Tracydr]

Seizures could be caused by toxic feed. I'd get a new source of feed.

 

[AlbionWood]

Doesn't sound like "normal" CX problems to me. Seizures could be bad feed as Tracydr suggested (moldy feed contains neurotoxins that cause seizures and/or partial paralysis etc), or maybe a disease like Marek's. Vitamin B deficiency is another possibility. Heat is yet another - how hot is it where you are? These birds can't take heat.

 

[becky3086]

I would think it was the feed as well. Mine have lived through the heat just fine although their whole pen is in the shade (shade here in GA does not exactly mean a drop in temperature).

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

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