Help please. 😞 Inexplicable Chick deaths.

[dmaloney15]

Friends I’m no newbie but certainly no chicken whisperer either and tonight I sadly lost 25 new chicks I’d say were approximately 6 day olds. I normally order from reputable hatcheries but it was so nice to see the chicks at Tractor Supply today that I did pick up 20 Barred Rocks and 5 Banties.

I checked everyone out, dipped beaks twice and set them up in a galvanized stock tank bedded on pine shavings and warmed with the TSC’s brand name “Producer’s Pride” brooder/coop heater set on low or the appropriate brooder temp. Set up fresh food and water in proper chick equipment. Checked them roughly two hours after set up and every single one was dead. Clearly no wild or domestic predator attack, drowning, suffocation or any other danged thing I can think of BUT...maybe electrocution??? There were absolutely no signs of visible injuries but at least two thirds of the chicks had lower abdominal areas that look like they’d “burst”. Intestines were visible but not from the rear end. They appeared like they’d just “popped out” from the stomach and I’m sure someone here most know what could have happened.
I’m just sick about it praying they didn’t suffer.

Thx all.

 

[Sammi_0411]

Im so sorry this has happened honey are u sure nothing could got to them even maybe a rat? They werent acting sick when u left them
Sam xxx

 

[tigger19687]

so so sad, I don't have the answer but the 6 chicks I got at TSC yesterday are dying. 2 yesterday and 3 over night.
My set up is the same except mine are in a cardboard box and no exposed innards.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

Could it be this? This is the only similar sounding disease I’ve found and it’s still a bit odd that they all dropped that quickly. So sorry for your loss. Warning it does have pictures of dead chicks. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/mushy-chick-disease-yolk-sack-infection-omphalitis.64686/

 

[kmac720]

I’m having a similar issue with my TSC chicks.....something is going on
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/tsc-chicks-keep-dying-despite-ideal-conditions.1449286/

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

Friends I’m no newbie but certainly no chicken whisperer either and tonight I sadly lost 25 new chicks I’d say were approximately 6 day olds. I normally order from reputable hatcheries but it was so nice to see the chicks at Tractor Supply today that I did pick up 20 Barred Rocks and 5 Banties.

I checked everyone out, dipped beaks twice and set them up in a galvanized stock tank bedded on pine shavings and warmed with the TSC’s brand name “Producer’s Pride” brooder/coop heater set on low or the appropriate brooder temp. Set up fresh food and water in proper chick equipment. Checked them roughly two hours after set up and every single one was dead. Clearly no wild or domestic predator attack, drowning, suffocation or any other danged thing I can think of BUT...maybe electrocution??? There were absolutely no signs of visible injuries but at least two thirds of the chicks had lower abdominal areas that look like they’d “burst”. Intestines were visible but not from the rear end. They appeared like they’d just “popped out” from the stomach and I’m sure someone here most know what could have happened.
I’m just sick about it praying they didn’t suffer.

Thx all.

Please share your general location so we can get an idea if its regional.

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

Friends I’m no newbie but certainly no chicken whisperer either and tonight I sadly lost 25 new chicks I’d say were approximately 6 day olds. I normally order from reputable hatcheries but it was so nice to see the chicks at Tractor Supply today that I did pick up 20 Barred Rocks and 5 Banties.

I checked everyone out, dipped beaks twice and set them up in a galvanized stock tank bedded on pine shavings and warmed with the TSC’s brand name “Producer’s Pride” brooder/coop heater set on low or the appropriate brooder temp. Set up fresh food and water in proper chick equipment. Checked them roughly two hours after set up and every single one was dead. Clearly no wild or domestic predator attack, drowning, suffocation or any other danged thing I can think of BUT...maybe electrocution??? There were absolutely no signs of visible injuries but at least two thirds of the chicks had lower abdominal areas that look like they’d “burst”. Intestines were visible but not from the rear end. They appeared like they’d just “popped out” from the stomach and I’m sure someone here most know what could have happened.
I’m just sick about it praying they didn’t suffer.

Thx all.

Is this the first time you have used that brooder/heater?

 

[Sheepheart]

Another user posted a thread with the same sort of issue, do you know what hatchery the chicks came from?

 

[Nigel27]

This is terrible, what’s going on?

 

[cmobley]

Usually electrocution won't make guts pop out but you would find burning of the feathers and skin. They'd probably actually be smoking if left in the environment and still getting electrocuted.