High Mortality in Broilers

[Danielsinghtt]

Hello everyone,

Over the past few months I have been experiencing some unfortunate experiences where I have been loosing multiple birds a day.

Back in August 2024, I bought 40 chicks and at the end of eight weeks, I was able to harvest only 18.

I bought 30 chicks this month, today is day 15 and I have 18 left alive. I got a death nearly every day.

I sanitize my pen every cycle, I provide my birds with vitamins, antibiotics and electrolytes.

Due to hot temperatures in my country, I even installed a fan to keep my birds cool.

The pen is opened out where there is easy access to breeze and I flip their litter every week.

I make sure they get clean water every morning and night.

Please help me, I really feel like giving up.. This really hurts.

Factors to consider:
1. The neighbour operates a saw mil near by, where there are a lot of dust and noise from machinery.

2. I have my yard chickens roaming around the yard, they cause no physical harm to the broilers.

3. The ground is cast, and sanitized.

4. Once I notice a chick is ill, I separated it from the rest of the coup.

I reach a point where I really reel like giving up, please help me.

 

[Marie2020]

You will possibly find it's the dust.
Do you let the chickens you cull out to free-range at all?
That might help them but still that saw mill will have a devastating impact on their Airways.

I'm surprised your yard bird's cope but being allowed to roam could be what's keeping them going

 

[Danielsinghtt]

I've been wondering if it's really the dust. The wind causes around the pen to be pretty dusty at times.

Thank you for the info.

You will possibly find it's the dust.
Do you let the chickens you cull out to free-range at all?
That might help them but still that saw mill will have a devastating impact on their Airways.

I'm surprised your yard bird's cope but being allowed to roam could be what's keeping them going

 

[FunClucks]

I'm of the opinion that most of the death you're seeing may be due in some way to the dust of the saw mill. Do you know what wood they're sawing? Some woods are quite toxic to chickens, although not so much to people. Another thing to consider is are you giving them grit? There is chick grit and regular adult chicken grit. Since you have them on wood chips, I'd make sure they have a source of grit freely available - sometimes when I hear of deaths like this with no obvious cause, I wonder if they've gotten ahold of some of the shavings, and just can't digest them. I raise my chicks on pine shavings (some of them are quite small) and I mix about 1/4c of grit into about 2 cups of crumble daily for the chicks from about 2 weeks onward, just to be sure they're getting some. Around 4-5 weeks onward, I keep a bowl of grit available to them. Especially if they're not free ranging, they can't find their own grit, and you'll need to provide it.

Are you raising CX? 3-5% mortality is normal for CX even in optimal conditions due to heart and leg issues usually, but I agree, over 50% seems excessive. The other option is to send a bird or two off for a necropsy. If you're in the USA, your state should have a lab. Here is the list. Contact the lab and get shipping and bird storage instructions, usually you can only refrigerate them prior to shipment (no freezer). Depending on the lab, cost is can be quite reasonable. Either way, if you want a definitive answer, you'll need to get a necropsy. Sorry you're dealing with this!

https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

 

[aimee750]

Wondering why you give them antibiotics? I would not do that unless there is a reason to do so.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How do they act when they become sick? Do they stand around not moving, fluff up, and look like they feel really bad? It could be coccidiosis. That is caused when the number of a certain protozoa become too numerous. A small number is fine, that's how they get immunity, but if the numbers get out of control it can kill them.

That protozoa thrives when you have wet conditions with poop. That can be dirty water, you need to change it at least every two days to interrupt the protozoa's life cycle. If the weather's wet your run can be a problem. The poop can build up enough that it will stay wet.

So what can you do if it is coccidiosis? Change the water, keep the coop/run as dry as you can, and don't let the poop build up enough to stay wet. That can be a problem if your weather sets in wet for a few days.

Antibiotics do not treat Coccidiosis. You need a medicine with the active ingredient "Amprolium". A common name for that medicine is "Corid" but I'm not sure what it might be called wherever you are. Amprolium does not kill that protozoa, it stops it from reproducing and the numbers getting out of hand. So start it when you see the first symptom.

I don't know for sure that this is your problem but it is fairly common with Cornish Cross meat birds since they poop so much. It can also affect our other flocks too not just meat birds.

Good luck!

 

[Penpal]

Please put your location in.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Is that bedding from the saw mill?