Few meat chickens dying

[grandchampchix]

I just recently got my chickens for the fair and 4 have died already one was dead in the box and 2 more died a few days later and today I saw a weak looking one that was breathing hard so I tried cooling it off and making it drink but it started having something like a seizure and was circling its head around and then it had something coming out of its beak and shortly after it died I don't know what's wrong with them but I can't afford to lose many more and some are making weird noises like there almost raspy sounding when they breath or sneezing and I looked aroind and the ones that died have some of the symptoms of Newcastle but it says it is very rare and just don't want any more to die

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas and

! Great to have you here but sorry you are losing some chickens. I don't know much about Newcastle's - if you suspect that you should post in the link below. I am wondering if they are just getting too hot - meat birds (Cornish X anyway) are very susceptible to excess heat. You may have tried to cool your bird off too quickly. Good luck to you!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you joined us!

 

[grandchampchix]

Greetings from Kansas and !  Great to have you here but sorry you are losing some chickens.  I don't know much about Newcastle's - if you suspect that you should post in the link below.  I am wondering if they are just getting too hot - meat birds (Cornish X anyway) are very susceptible to excess heat.  You may have tried to cool your bird off too quickly.  Good luck to you!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

I don't think they are too hot my chicken book says the first week they should be around 95 degrees and it was around 90 in the coop

 

[dairyfarmer]

What are you using for bedding? Cornish rocks will eat small particle sized shavings or sawdust and compact their gizzard and die quickly. I always try to find the coursest savings I can find for my new chicks

 

[cookfamilyfarm]

Hi from Missouri. If they have their beaks open a lot that's their way of cooling themselves. Try and see if they have them open a lot. If I get mine in the mail ,instead of me hatching them, they sometimes have a little time to get used to a cooler temperature. Also, if they were shipped they can be extra thirsty and can overheat more easily. Sometimes it takes up to 3 days for me to get hatchery chicks. Then theres humidity this time of year. Just make sure they have plenty of water. I hope they get better.

 

[cookfamilyfarm]

At first I, use newspaper. Some folks don't like this but its easy for me to replace when it gets wet.

 

[cookfamilyfarm]

Sorry, I thought grand was asking about bedding. Didn't mean to step on your toes Dairy.

 

[drumstick diva]

Is the brooder large enough so they aren't trampling each other? Is their enough area so the birds can move to a cooler section of the coop if it's too hot under the light?

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC! I hope you posted on the Emergencies section good luck to you.