Dying Vantress X's

[Lechtanski]

Hi All,

This is my first attempt at raising chickens. I built a 10 by 14 coop, have a 20 x 15 outdoor attached run. I ordered my chicks from Townline Nursery. I eneded up with 25 Barred rock pullets/hens for eggs and 11 straight run Vantress for broilers. They are 6 weeks today. I had been feeding them the DuMOR starter 24%, and just bought the starter/grower 21%. I used pine shaving for bedding and it is cleaned out about every 5 days. I put fresh water in daily and add vinegar (to prevent pecking). They go through about 4-5lbs of food a day.

Everything was going good until Saturday. One of the Vantress's became very docile, normally there scatter and don't tolerate being touched. By Monday morning it was dead. All the others looked and acted fine. Now a second one is acting the same way, if it holds the same course it will be dead in the morning. Once again all the others seem fine, nothing strange.

Is there something else I should be doing or not doing? The only other chicks lost were within the first 2 days of receiving them, I lost 2 of the barred rocks.

Thanks for any help I can get.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I have no experience with cornishx or the vantress x - but wonder if they are filling with fluid and then dying. I believe it is called ascites.

Giving you a bump and hopefully someone who has raised the vantress can respond. Threads just move so quickly

 

[Lechtanski]

Wow, thank you gives me something to go on. I will look up Ascites and see what I can find. Thanks again. So far the second one that was acting sick is holding on.