Dead Birds

[jma6004]

I have read that with my Cornish X I could lose up to 15%. They have been here ~84 hours and I have lost two (out of 26). One on day 2 and one on day 3. They just died in the brooder. Vents were clean. Any ideas? Is this normal loss? I thought they would die later on, I'm just surprised I've lost two in 3 days. I worry its too hot. I have 2 heat lamps but when I turn one off the huddle under the the other light. Could too much heat kill them? Thanks.

 

[KAMoHunter427]

Oh yeah for sure. U can kill them with heat the same as u can with cold. Been there done that bought the t-shirt. It says lesson learned on the front of it! Lol

 

[kacklinkelly]

I have my first ever meaties (cornish x). Only got 4 for my first attempt.
Have had them for one week and so far so good. I have one that keeps catching my
attention though, is smaller, slower and tonight had to give it a "butt bath". It seems to do it's
best to keep up with the others. Is eating and drinking. I have two regular lamps that
I point into the brooder at night time. 60 watt bulbs in each. The brooder is at about 80 degrees.
During the day, I turn one lamp off. Mine are feathering out and sprouting tail feathers now.
Oh yeah, they are in the garage and It's about 80 during the day here. Wishing you much
success with your remaining crosses. Hoping you have a big group to assist with harvesting
day.

 

[AgroUrica]

I have read that with my Cornish X I could lose up to 15%. They have been here ~84 hours and I have lost two (out of 26). One on day 2 and one on day 3. They just died in the brooder. Vents were clean. Any ideas? Is this normal loss? I thought they would die later on, I'm just surprised I've lost two in 3 days. I worry its too hot. I have 2 heat lamps but when I turn one off the huddle under the the other light. Could too much heat kill them? Thanks.

I've got friends who raise 20,000 - 100,000 of these birds at a time and they all claim losses run 2 - 3% so 15% sounds very high to me. On my first group of 300 birds, I lost 6 (2%). Didn't have my first dead bird until day 25. All other losses were definitely due to heat. Meat birds are very heat-sensitive so watch them carefully. If they're panting, they're hot.

 

[OHSpartan]

We raised our first batch of winter meaties. Ugh that has proven more than we bargained for. Our losses were 15 percent. Some got too cold. Some too hot. Some got wet. Garage was 10-20 degrees at night and they were in a 4x8 brooder insulated with foam board and heated with 300 w of lamps.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I'm four weeks into my first CX attempt. So far, I've lost 2 out of my original 10, one at about 3 weeks and one at about 4. Last summer I purchased 35 Freedom Ranger chicks, received 36 but one died around 3 weeks old as well. This was my only loss, other than the 4 I lost to a preator break in, but I don't figure that counts becasue they were all very healthy right up until the night of the break in.