I have Lost 11 Of My Welsummers

[crossbowhunter5]

I bought 27 baby Welsummer pullets & 2 roosters & i have lost 11 of them & i just can't figure out why they are dying off like this I have them on the 24% starter & grower they are only 3 months old we also have 7 Road Island pullets with the Welsummers the exact same age & not one of them have died I am just stumped what do you guys think?

 

[Michael OShay]

I'm sorry that you've lost so many of your Welsummers. Do you live in a cold weather area? Sometimes chick owners remove their chicks from the brooder before they are well feathered out and the chicks get chilled. You might want to post this on our Emergencies, Diseases, Injuries, and Cures section at https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures and see if our experts there can give you any insights into why they are dying off. Good luck with the remainder of your chicks.

 

[crossbowhunter5]

Yrs i live in Southwestern Va & it does get cold but they were under a heat lamp for over 2 months

 

[CrazyTalk]

I don't know if this is actually the issue, but going from heatlamp to outside in mid november is a pretty big swing, and I could certainly see them not being hardy enough - it's definitely harder to raise chicks at this time of year.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

When did you start to experience the losses- trying to get a feel for what sort of timespan has been involved with the total number of birds lost. Are you noticing ANY symptoms or changes in the birds prior to their death?

 

[Michael OShay]

I don't know if this is actually the issue, but going from heatlamp to outside in mid november is a pretty big swing, and I could certainly see them not being hardy enough - it's definitely harder to raise chicks at this time of year.

X2 on that. Those temperature drops should have been gradually tapered off.