Flock of 100 meat birds, I lost 15 so far help!

[duclos]

My first time raising meat birds and we feed them 2 times per day and keep giving them water and moving the coop every few days and they get free range within fenced area.
Not sure what I am doing wrong but it seems wrong to have lost that many and it's not even processing time yet.
Usually find one dead in the morning when we go out to feed them

Any thoughts or ideas???

 

[NikonD2xer]

A little more info would be helpful.

How old are they. What are they eating. How much space in the coop. ventilation.

So many things can affect them it would be just guessing at this point without more info.

 

[duclos]

They are 6 weeks now. The coop is 8 x 12. I got the design from http://www.new-terra-natural-food.com/raising-chickens.html
I feed them feed made by master feed which is very reputable in Canada .
The link shows a photo of the coop design, there is a small window at the back that I keep open.
Should I be leaving the tarp up more for more circulation at night time.?

Dan

 

[CedarOR]

What is your elevation? Many times it can cause heart failure. Especially with Cornish X and and the so-called "Nicholas White" turkeys.

Cedar

 

[goldfinches]

Are you finding them dead only in the morning? If so, maybe cut another window. I wouldn't leave them completely exposed to predators, although there may be wire covering the opening, I can't see it too good. (Not that a tarp is going to stop a predator for too long.)

Are they sickly and then dying, or dying suddenly?

Maybe it's time to process them. I processed my first batch at 11 weeks and didn't lose any, and my second around 8, same thing, but I was also very strict with my feeding and foraging schedule.

Do they have plenty of water?

 

[NikonD2xer]

if the birds look healthy and still find them dead in the morning......you may have a nightly predator that is stressing the birds causing them to pile or something like that.

 

[duclos]

The coop is completely covered by chicken wire, the tarp is only for cover and extends out to make shelter during daytime. I have an electric fence around the coop to keep predators out. I feel e pretty confident there is no predator coming too close.
I am always nervous that they will get cold at night, that is why I bring the tarp completely down on the side.
I just put lots of food in the morning and then again at night when I bring them back in the coop.
What do you suggest for feeding schedule.

Thanks again for your feed back

Dan

 

[off-grid hen]

I have a similar problem. We have 3-week old jumbo Cornish crosses, and two days in a row now I have found one dead in the morning. They are zippy and otherwise healthy in appearance, but it seems like piling to me.

 

[delisha]

I imagine they are smothering each other. That coop is pretty small for 100 birds. As a suggestion, process half of your birds. The body heat of a bird is 105-106. Put that in a confined place with little ventilation and you are going to have deaths. If you are not worried about preds, leave the tarp up. They are feathered out or should be at that age. I have raised heavies for years and they are heat/cold sensitive. I imagine that inside coop at night is over 100 with that tarp.

 

[goldfinches]

The coop is completely covered by chicken wire, the tarp is only for cover and extends out to make shelter during daytime. I have an electric fence around the coop to keep predators out. I feel e pretty confident there is no predator coming too close.
I am always nervous that they will get cold at night, that is why I bring the tarp completely down on the side.
I just put lots of food in the morning and then again at night when I bring them back in the coop.
What do you suggest for feeding schedule.

Thanks again for your feed back

Dan

I've never used electric fence, but I've heard it's good. Just so you know, chicken wire won't stop any predator - it's just made to keep chickens out of gardens and to look pretty on crafts.

You should feed first thing in the morning and then again 12 hours later.

I think you should leave them more ventilation. Sounds like they're getting too hot.