HELP! Baby chicks dropping dead for no apparent reason

[daystardoberman]

I got a shipment of 18 baby chicks from cackle******** 3 weeks ago. Everything's been fine and the friend that split the clutch with me took hers home Sunday night. 2 days later, one of my remaining ones was dead for no apparent reason, and one died sometime today, They are in the same pen from the get go, out of access to the other hens. In the barn in their totally enclosed pen. Tonight my friend called and said 2 of hers were dead also for no reason, and a third on is not eating and "acting weird" and thinks it's going to die tonight. The chicks were vaccinated for Merek's, eating their chick starter, nothing has changed except that on Sunday she took her half (8 chicks) home. Now they're dropping like flies. Any ideas? my older hens sometimes get on top of the cage to investigate, but no one can get in, no one can get out.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

check their poop for blood ? Are they puffed up ?

 

[keesmom]

Are they on medicated feed?

 

[3riverschick]

Did your friend ever have any sick chicks at her house? Some of these chick diseases are airborne . If so did she handle all the chicks? she might have brought something to your house when she came to pick up her half of the birds ??
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Did you just start the chicks on a new bag of chick feed? if so, could the new bag of chick feed be bad?

 

[daystardoberman]

well, no they are apparently healthy running around, eating well acting normal. these are my friend's first attempts at chickens, so she's never had any.. The feed is quality food that looks and smells normal and is kept in a dry sealed container. they were on medicated feed for the first 2 weeks and now are on regular chick growth starter. I don't see any reason for them to just drop dead. they don't look or act sick but the friend says one of hers looks like it's going down the tubes. Mine don't. they look good, run around, peep. poop and act normal.

 

[daystardoberman]

peep as in making little happy noises

 

[3riverschick]

That is so strange. I got nothing for you. I thought maybe it might be a sickness or poison something they are eating. take it over to the illness and cures thread .those people have seen so many strange things. maybe one of them can help you. I am so sorry for your loss !
Karen

 

[andreanar]

If other hens are able to get up on their cage, maybe they pooped in there. Maybe coccidiosis? If i thought cocci, I'd start them all on Corid in their water. In fact, I'd start them on it just in case. Good luck. You could also try Nutridrench or SavaChik.

 

[brucifer]

Although it's coincidental that you and your friend both went in on the same order from Cackle, and you both are losing chicks, that hatchery has a great reputation for shipping healthy birds. Also, you've had your birds for three weeks before they started dying. Without doing a necropsy, it's hard to determine the cause of birds dropping "for no apparent reason." Usually chicks will display symptoms in terms of a given condition such as a gape-worm infection (gasping, outstretched neck) or a coccidiosis infection (excessively bloody stool).

If you want to follow up with the problem, contact your county extension service. They can usually put you in touch with a local expert to help you accurately diagnose the problem and put in place a viable solution. Best of luck.