HELP... 7 dead in 2 days

[bperry6681]

Please help I don't know what's happening!
I picked up 26 broilers I had ordered on Tuesday 6/13 everyone was alive and seemingly well. There were a couple that were a little lethargic but I just figured it was the trip. I put them all in the brooder with hay substrate, water with acv and feed (nutrena meat bird) over the next 2 days more seemed to be lethargic, not eating and just laying under the heat lamps. I lost my first one on Thursday night. Then 3 more on Friday and so far 3 more today with more to come. I've seperated the ones that look sick. I've done fecal exams on them (nothing found) started corid anyway. I've been syringe feeding water and gave them some poly vi sol. They just flop over on their backs and die
What is happening? Is it something I'm doing? I've raised chickens and turkeys but these are my first meat birds. Thanks in advance.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Please help I don't know what's happening!
just laying under the heat lamps. Thanks in advance.

Whats the temp under the heat lamp where they are laying?

 

[bperry6681]

Whats the temp under the heat lamp where they are laying?

I would say around 90. I don't use a thermometer I usually just go by how they behave. The sick ones are the only ones that linger under the lamps.

 

[dekel18042]

Please help I don't know what's happening!
I picked up 26 broilers I had ordered on Tuesday 6/13 everyone was alive and seemingly well. There were a couple that were a little lethargic but I just figured it was the trip. I put them all in the brooder with hay substrate, water with acv and feed (nutrena meat bird) over the next 2 days more seemed to be lethargic, not eating and just laying under the heat lamps. I lost my first one on Thursday night. Then 3 more on Friday and so far 3 more today with more to come. I've seperated the ones that look sick. I've done fecal exams on them (nothing found) started corid anyway. I've been syringe feeding water and gave them some poly vi sol. They just flop over on their backs and die
What is happening? Is it something I'm doing? I've raised chickens and turkeys but these are my first meat birds. Thanks in advance.

Just wondering if your heat lamp has a coating on it. Was reading on some other forums that some of the heat bulbs have a Teflon like coating on them that can kill baby birds under them. Make sure your lamp does not have a coating.
Don't know if it is this but it is one possibility to eliminate. If you can get a bulb you know is uncoated or go to another source of heat, a heating pad or warming tray you could see if it makes a difference.
Good uck. Losing babies is the pits.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I would say around 90. I don't use a thermometer I usually just go by how they behave. The sick ones are the only ones that linger under the lamps.

Well from my experience if they were directly under the light---they must have been cold. A cold chick is a dead chick if it doesn't warm up. I would try to encourage you to get a thermometer so you can monitor the temp. Might have nothing to do with the temp but I wonder why they would be directly under the light if they were not cold?? I have raised 1000's of chicks and I only feed them a good chick feed. Anything else they might have problems with. I do not even know what a hay substrate is?? Is that a bedding? I never used it. Sure hope you get it figured out soon!!

 

[bperry6681]

Well from my experience if they were directly under the light---they must have been cold. A cold chick is a dead chick if it doesn't warm up. I would try to encourage you to get a thermometer so you can monitor the temp. Might have nothing to do with the temp but I wonder why they would be directly under the light if they were not cold?? I have raised 1000's of chicks and I only feed them a good chick feed. Anything else they might have problems with. I do not even know what a hay substrate is?? Is that a bedding? I never used it. Sure hope you get it figured out soon!!

Just checked temp 96 also checked for any draft with a lighter and that doesn't seem to be a problem either. I've fed nutrena to my turkeys for years and it's been great so I thought since they have a diet designed for meat birds I would give it a shot. Substrate is just another word for bedding and I went with the straw because they seemed to want to eat the aspen shavings but thanks that was sound advice

 

[bperry6681]

Just wondering if your heat lamp has a coating on it. Was reading on some other forums that some of the heat bulbs have a Teflon like coating on them that can kill baby birds under them. Make sure your lamp does not have a coating.
Don't know if it is this but it is one possibility to eliminate. If you can get a bulb you know is uncoated or go to another source of heat, a heating pad or warming tray you could see if it makes a difference.
Good uck. Losing babies is the pits.

Thanks I was aware of the coating so I only use clear bulbs and my brooder temp is 96 just checked but thanks that was a good idea