Finding more dead chickens everyday

[shelby528]

I currently have one month old leghorns and meat birds. For roughly two weeks now, I have been finding dead chickens when i go to feed them in the morning. My coop is big enough for all of my birds and I have my older birds seperated from my younger birds. Both leghorns and meat birds are dying. The meat birds have their butts chewed right out of them and holes all over there bodies. At first they started picking out their tail feathers and I would seperate the injured ones but now they are making huge holes in eachother and I can NOT figure out why. Can anyone help me?!?!?

They are being fed medicated baby food
There kept warm
They have plenty of water
and plenty of space.

 

[bryan8]

Medicated baby food?

I assume you mean chick starter?

If I were me I'd seperate out the meat bird and put them on a broiler feed.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

One month olds? I wouldn't expect them to be picking at each other. Could rats possibly be causing wounds that they are picking at?

If you really think it's picking, use a dim red light instead of regular lighting, and close off any sources of natural lighting. That may help get it under control until they can heal. If it is picking, something is stressing them out. When you say they are kept warm, could it be too warm? Is the coop heated such that the birds can get away from the heat source if necessary to cool off?

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Yeah, red light is the only thing I can think of too. That's not common with meaties. I've never had an issue with picking or canniblism.

 

[the simple life]

From what I have read on this forum its usually a matter of not enough protein, being overcrowded or another stressor such as running out of food and or water and lastly boredom.
I have also heard of the white lights causing more feather picking and pecking and you should stick to using red lights.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Seperate them.... broilers and leghorns do not do good together.

Also use red lights.... I use red lights on any white chicks/poults as everything looks one color to them instead of standing out.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
Yes, such causes are common in mature flocks as they tend to be long term stressors, but 4 week old chicks? Toe picking should be one's biggest concern with cannibalism in young chicks, not such picking to this extent.

 

[hinkjc]

I've seen a butt chewed out of a meat bird once in all our years of raising them. The culprit - red tailed hawk (yup, he came back for more). Pulled the butt right through the wire pen. Are your birds outside?

 

[shelby528]

I am using a red light and I can not seperate them at this moment. My leghorns need to be a bit bigger to move them over with my other chickens. And also, no my birds are inside and always have been, too cold around this time a year where I live to be putting them outside. I am so frustrated with them! ergg. They are definetly not overcrowded and not underfed by any means. They have access to food and water 24\\7. Any other suggestions?

 

[Buster52]

Separate them anyway. Use cardboard boxes and put them in the garage if you have to.

Either that or take the chance of that being the problem and just live with losing your birds.