having trouble with my first meaty chicks!

[The Rancho]

I just received 60 +3 extras on Friday. Not new to raising chicks, hatches lots of my own, but this time was my first purchase from a hatchery(privetts). I got them mid Friday, started them on the vitamin electrolyte water and food in my brooder. The problem is since Saturday, I've lost 8. Is this high or how it goes with shipping birds? Are cornish cross birds more sensitive? Any input would be helpful!

 

[TrinityFarms]

Hi, really sorry to hear about the losses. I think we all go through that at some point when we raise cornish cross. Eight birds is pretty high for a batch of 60, at least at this point. A 90% success rate at processing time seems to be average on this forum. Cornish cross are DEFINITELY sensitive. If they do not have the optimum conditions for growth they get diseases, or eat each other, or smother each other, or get leg problems, etc., etc. What happened to the eight dead chicks? Hopefully we are able to help you find the problem.

 

[Homestead Family]

Cornish Cross seem to be a lot more awkward in their movements especially in the tight quarters of a brooder. I have seen them easily smother or suffocate each other, especially if there are any right angle corners in your brooder or heated area. Could this be the cause of death?

To be sure, they are a sensitive bird, yet 8 is a high number to lose off the bat. We buy 50 at a time, and the most we have lost is 1 or 2 over a 7 week period.

 

[becky3086]

How big it the brooder and what are you feeding them?

 

[Renee']

What temp is the brooder?

 

[The Rancho]

the brooder is a 6x2 oblong stock tank, the same I use for all my other birds. Before the chicks would die they all seem great then about an hour later one will seem lethargic and die about 1-2 hours later. The temp is about 90 and I'm feeding them meat bird crumble, per the hatcheries instructions.

 

[mstricer]

Are you sure they have enough room? That's only 12 sq ft. For 60 babies, Ive not lost any , but then again I pick mine up so that might help. It just doesn't seem like enough room with water and feeder. But it might be I don't know. If I get a lot of 25 I usually split them into to brooders, I use the kiddie wading pools with puppy play yard around it.
Michele
Maybe the ones that died weren't getting anything to drink or eat. I've had to show some even though everyone else was eatting.

 

[EggsForIHOP]

This is only our first time with the broilers - we too received them this weekend - and I have noticed they seem to like it cooler just a little - right now it's 81 degrees in their brooder and they are having a blast eating and are only a week old. They also do seem to need WAY more room. We have 20 only, but I still split them into 2 groups in rubbermaid tubs, then this morning added a 3rd rubbermaid tub and now have them split up into 3 groups. Never had to do that this quickly with any of the other chicks - those little broilers grow FAST! And yes, yesterday I nearly broiled the broilers - left the AC off and it rose to 93degrees in the house - when I got home they were all panting and miserable! I clicked the AC on and it dropped to 78 in the brooder (no light was on ALL DAY) and that was the happiest and perkiest I had seen them! If the weather stays nice, about noon they are going out in the tractor until it gets cool/dark this evening too! Try and see if they are too hot or could use more space...mine appreciated the change a LOT!

ETA: when I say above "no light was on all all day" I mean their heat lamp...they had sunshine a-plenty though...

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Make sure that they can get out of the heat if they need to. There should be warm and cool spots in the brooder so that they can regulate their own temperatures as necessary.

I can't say I've ordered lots of birds. I ordered three different batches of dual purpose chicks when I was in Texas and never lost any, but they were delivered on the same day. This summer we ordered 30 CX that were delivered the next morning after shipping and we didn't lose any either.

How long were they in transit?