HELP!!!! 12 chicks dropped dead within minutes????

[Mr Clean Kansas]

Seeing as it is the only difference I can think of, I'm going to get rid of the rest of that bag of pine shavings in case there was something in it. It didn't appear moldy, and it wasn't damp at all. Y'all, this is the weirdest thing I have seen in all my years of raising animals. So upset, I had finally gotten some breeds I've been on the lookout for, and they are just gone. Poor little things, I feel so awful

I'm don't mean to insult you in any way. But is it possible your 7 year old son may have sprayed something in the area of the broader. One of my daughters thought the chicks brooder plexiglass needed cleaning and I lost most of the chick's in the brooder. She thought she was doing something to help the chick's. She was scared to tell me at first and after some questioning she told me she had sprayed the plexiglass with a cleaner I hard left in her reach. She was devastated and I had to calm her and tell her she didn't know it would hurt the chick's and accidents happen. In the end it was my fault for leaving a cleaning chemical in my 5 year Olds reach. Sometimes children want to do things on their own to show us they are big girls or boys and want to make us proud of them for being independent.

 

[Chicalina]

The OP has already explained that the kids are older and would snitch on each other. Pretty much like my kids would!

 

[Hopeful homesteader]

Any update?

 

[OffGridChook]

Seeing as it is the only difference I can think of, I'm going to get rid of the rest of that bag of pine shavings in case there was something in it. It didn't appear moldy, and it wasn't damp at all. Y'all, this is the weirdest thing I have seen in all my years of raising animals. So upset, I had finally gotten some breeds I've been on the lookout for, and they are just gone. Poor little things, I feel so awful

I’ve used Tractor Supply shavings with no issues but with chicks they said I have to use larger flake (white bag) because the Fine shavings (yellow bag) gets in their nose and lungs and kills them. I’m sorry for your losses. It always makes me so sad

 

[Buffy Brahma Mama]

The heater plate was on the opposite end from the food. It's a producers pride brand dual purpose brooder/coop heater. It was on brooder setting.

I'm so sorry about your chicks.

It would seem that the likely potential causes are: 1. Overheating, or 2. Off-gassing of toxins that occurred from the plastic container, with the primary cause being lack of ventilation and oxygen supply. There are many chemicals that can off-gas from plastic.

I'll also note that many stores will periodically spray areas where products such as container are kept with insecticides. I have purchased bins before that had clearly been hit with insecticide. Plastic can absorb those chemicals. It's possible you got one of those.

Containers that are narrow and deep can act like confined spaces, concentrating gases and chemicals and creating lower oxygen environments, if there is not adequate openings for clean airflow. Drafts are bad, but gentle air circulation is good.

I know it doesn't help right now, but I use a product by Elitefield. They make soft hexagonal dog crates with ventilation on all sides and the top. They come in all sizes and you can even place them side by side with the doors open for when the chicks get bigger and need more space. They have a zippered top, bottom and two doors, which is great to allow people to visit the chicks and for the chicks to see people as well. You can strategically place towels around some of the sides as needed, to prevent drafts. After using these, I wouldn't use anything else. I'm sure there are many other brands as well.

So sorry again for your loss.

 

[dmaloney15]

I have no idea what could have possibly happened. I have raised dozens of chicks, and altogether lost a total of maybe 5. Thursday, I bought six chicks from tractor supply. Brought them home, put them in the brooder, three of them had dirty feet, but I cleaned them up and everything seemed fine. Yesterday, I bought six more from Rural King, all seemed healthy, I put them in the brooder, everyone seemed to be doing well. One had mild pasty butt, but again, I cleaned her up, and she was acting perfectly fine. They have a brooder heater, not a heat lamp, it was on the correct setting, brooder temp was great. Fresh water, fresh feed, from the same feed bag I've been feeding my 8 week old chicks in the coop, all of whom are ok. Clean bedding, from a brand new bag. As of six p.m. all the chicks were acting just fine. Spread around the brooder, eating, drinking, etc. At about 8 p.m., my youngest son who is seven came running to get me screaming all the chicks were dead. I ran to the living room, and all but one of the chicks was sprawled out dead as a doornail. The last one was barely alive, and died in my hands minutes later. I have never in my life seen anything like this. I'm desperately trying to figure out what happened. Does anyone have any idea at all what might have happened???? No sign of injury, no sign of illness, just like they literally all just dropped dead. I'm freaking out right now.

I simply cannot believe it!! I am so sorry this happened to you!

We have had the same horrific experience and we both purchased the chicks from the same store who I believe purchases exclusively from one hatchery.
In my case 100% of everything they were exposed to was a Tractor Supply product. I’d successfully raised around 125 chicks using the exact same protocol with a less than 1% mortality rate, but then I pick my birds and don’t allow them to lock me out of their indoor coop setup so I did stack the deck in my favor. The point is that with only the variable of using the Tractor Supply coop brooder/heater when I’d previously used lamps. Not one batch but TWO with not a high mortality rate....a 100% death rate. ALL DEAD. And you obviously know the rest of the details.
Called the store upset, described this horror, and they may as well have spit on my while laughing as if this call was flipping ENTERTAINMENT. Called corporate who sent free gift cards.
Well screw you Tractor Supply. Something is rotten there and ya just can’t toss money at cruelty.

 

[dmaloney15]

I hope this uploads, I took the heater plate out when I was checking for survivors but it was on the opposite end from the food. Twelve chicks, just dead

Me too. Twenty laid out flat with stomachs that I could only describe as “exploded”.

 

[dmaloney15]

I have a question regarding this heater (Producers Pride from TSC): Was this heater brand new when you turned it on for these chicks, or have you used it in the past?

It had been used one time. And I heated it up and let it get to heater level for hours before it got near a bird.

 

[MagicalUnicorn]

Any update?

 

[McChooky]

I was hoping she'd find out and let us know if it was the heat plate .I guess if she wants us to know what happened she'll share it but one can only speculate.I hope she is okay...