Durvet vitamins and probiotics is poison

[rebrascora]

I think there may be something else at play here. The chicks seem to be mostly spaced around the outside of the brooder and the heat lamp looks to be in the middle and the brooder boxes have solid walls, all of which would suggest overheating may be an issue. Heat source should be located at one end of the brooder and the other end where the food and water are, should be significantly cooler.
What type of heating lamps are you using? Make sure they are not Teflon coated.

The thing to do would be to contact your state diagnostics lab to get necropsies done to establish a cause of death..... this would be the place to contact in New Mexico...
http://www.nmda.nmsu.edu/vds/

 

[The Phantom]

99* is rather hot for chicks. I keep mine at 92-95* for the first week and reduce 5* until at ambient temperature

That’s what I keep mine at for the first week. I keep it that on one side and the other side is the cooler side.

 

[PirateGirl]

I have not searched these lists, but it is worth a look at the current recalls.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/porta...blic-health-alerts/current-recalls-and-alerts

https://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/safetyhealth/recallswithdrawals/default.htm

I'm sorry for your loss. I would certainly think those products were safe if I'd purchased them from that display. For all of them to die at the same time they would have all had to been exposed to the same thing. My only other potential thoughts are the following...

Did you just change out all the bedding in the brooders and replace with something new/different? Even the same kind of bedding as before but from a new package?

Anything else they have all eaten? Treats? A new/different bag of feed that could possibly be contaminated?

New potentially teflon coated heat bulbs?

Did you use any chemicals to clean the brooders?

Is there anything else in the house/barn that could have produced toxic fumes? Small birds are quite sensitive to fumes... burning food in a teflon coated non-stick pan, mopping the floor with ammonia or any potent cleaning supply, carbon monoxide exposure, fresh paint/stain somewhere in the building, new carpet off-gassing? anything?

That's all I've got. I agree that it sounds like something they were exposed to, whether it is the vitamins or something environmental. It would have to be something new, since the birds were in different rooms and different chicks were added on different days. I don't think it's disease just because of the time frame. I hope you get some solid answers. I agree that it's worth a necropsy.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would ask about your heat lamp bulb too. Also are you brooding in the house? 99 is pretty hot, you may have caused heat exhaustion. I generally brood at 85-90 that first week. Could yours move away? How big was your brooder?

 

[007Sean]

I agree with @rebrascora , viewing the video, would have to say it is heat stroke. They are showing classic signs of heat stroke. I've seen this happen with my birds.
That's a pretty small tote and the heat is building up faster than it can disapiate.
If that's a 250W heat bulb, it is way to close to the brooder, it should be around 18" above the brooder.

 

[PirateGirl]

Also did you use anything to clean the waterers before you filled them with the vitamin water mixture?

 

[SueT]

Teflon coated bulbs would be labelled as 'shatter resistant'.....there have been reports on BYC of these heat bulbs quickly killing all the chicks.

 

[paneubert]

I also question the height of the bulb and the accuracy of the temperature measurement. How long after the bulb was turned on you take the temp? Was it on the floor of the brooder right under the center of the lamp? "Never say never", but I have never known properly diluted vitamins (and salts) to kill so many so fast. If it was in fact a little 3 gram pouch and you did dilute it into a gallon of water, I cant imagine how it would be the reason for the deaths.

 

[Hanika]

We have thermometers at each end of the brooders at all times. It is much cooler on the food/water side about 85 f. The bulb is not Teflon and there have been no other environment changes. The tub is a deep jetted style and only four ducklings were in there with the heat lamp way above the faucet. The ducklings died first, and then the chicks started getting sick too. Heat could not account for different rooms to be affected at the same time and manner. Thank you for the necropsy info. I think that is the route we will take.

 

[aart]

It is much cooler on the food/water side about 85 f.

Cooler side should be more like 70°F.

Still odd that they should die so quickly all at the same time.
What was the time frame of the deaths?
Did they have fresh water along with the dosed stuff?