Lifeless cornish rocks

[MMPoultryFarms]

I have spent days and days trying to figure out why my cornish rock are dieing I have 2 more in quarinteen today I have since added a new cage for them Frozen milk jugs temp, has been reaching 101 there under an are conditioner as of last evening oddly I have only one death a day they appear to go to sleep and not wake up there so lifeless But will drink if I give it to them I have tried gatoraid, Rebuilting the coop to limit the amount of space to travel for water. 50 cornish rocks and 30 left. I have a thread in raising baby chicks that explains everything in detail. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=362600

 

[scubaforlife]

101 is probably your answer. If they are near slaughter weight, just do it now.

You can slaughter one of the dead ones and see if it was its heart that went out in the heat.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I did see your post on the other link also. I am no expert by no means, but I am thinking it is a combination of the heat, and something is happening to frighten them at night. maybe when soemthing is digging or prowling out side at night the dog is becomming restless therefore, herding the chickens some more and it's night, there is no breeze and they can't take it. I hope you find the problem soon.

 

[bigredfeather]

How old are they? What is there approximate weight? Are they panting and holding their wings away from their body? From what you have said, I agree it sounds like it is the heat. If they are big enough, I would agree processing them as soon as possible is a good solution. Cornishes have a hot burning motor, and they don't cope with the heat very well. One thing you could try is to put ice in their water. If they are able to drink it, it will help cool them down at least temporarily.

 

[slc]

This is why I will not give my money to support the cornsish X industry any longer. It's such a flawed and fragile breed. It's bred to be that way on purpose. It a one-use-only disposable thing designed to break easily. Keeps you coming back to them with your wallets open. It's a big rip off. There are other meat options out there now that are so close to the final product of a cornish X that it seems pointless to go with the CX and risk the losses.

Not much you can do but to put them out of there misery. The poor things. Get what meat you can from them before they all die. Perhaps you would like to try rangers they are much heartier and less stressful to raise. Plus they can live to breed, if you don't want to pay some hatchery over and over.

 

[kathyinmo]

2 - 4 weeks old? Do I have that correct? I would say cocci if that is the correct age.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

umm . . . you said "will drink if you give it to them"??? they should have water at all times.

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

Quote:
Yes i meant exactly what i said

they will only drink if i give it to them meaning pick there waterer up to there mouth use a baby dropper ect. they will not freely drink. I did see one taking some stabs at some grain today. there in a clothes basket atm, with a small feeder and waterer. the hen was like legs up earlier couldnt stand now shes moving around slowly, trying to eat. and standing straight up Should i medicate these birds even though there not suppose to be? I been putting one scoop of gatoraid to 5 gallons of water freezing milk jugs and even moved them to constant shade and cool ground. so far none are droopy today havent lost anything and they seem very active dust bathing alot running (yes runnnning around) threw my research and the wonderful help from these forums I feel i have narrowed it down to cocci, not heat thats just playing a big roll in it via some deaths heat related some cocci. We had recent rains and storms here which pull it up from the soil ontop of the dormant cocci in fecies. drawn together with no medication is asking for trouble. I am thinking at least 2 weeks on medicated feed then 3-5 weeks on 17% is my solution. ( I hope

) thank you all for all the wonderful insight I have learned alot in the short time I have been here. and I already see an improvment in my flocks.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I have done the medicated feed routine, the ACV routine, the Corrid routine and the Sulmet routine. For me I found the Sulmet to work the best, it's a sulfa drug not an antibiotic; it doesn't cure cocci it just cleans everything out of their system - I have healthy birds six days later. I follow the dosage program with a good feeding of yogurt, and vitamins in the water, and all goes well. I am sure you have got lots of advice I know I did when I first experienced cocci, so just thought I would share what did work for me.