Losing all our chicks from mail order. . . .

[rosemarythyme]

Not sure where you're located but assuming you're in northern hemisphere the weather is still quite cold in many areas, so shipping is a lot harder on chicks. Quite possibly they got too chilled during transit.

 

[1muttsfan]

Unfortunately all of the above are possible. Shipping can be really hard on chicks in cold and hot weather, or if they are exposed to widely fluctuating temps. I agree, check your light bulb, get them on a coccidia medication, and keep those butts really clean. Sorry to hear about this, it is so disappointing to loose healthy-seeming birds.

 

[*pixietrix*]

Way too young to die from diseases or coccidiosis.
Did you dip everyone's beck in water and sprinkle the feed? Pasty butt can block the butt hole so they can't deficate properly.

Yes, all of them were eating and drinking fine.

 

[*pixietrix*]

What brand of chick starter dunmor is on recall
Is the light bulb shatterproof , they are coated with teflon and give off poisonous gas

Just checked, our starter is ADM. Bulb is not shatterproof.

 

[*pixietrix*]

So far, so good today. Haven't lost any more of them. It seems like the pasty butt is improving, but I'm cleaning them as soon as I see any trace of it. I will have the Corid to give them tomorrow.

Thanks so much to everyone for all of the suggestions!

 

[Huskybrown321]

I am at a complete loss. We have had chickens for ten years and have never had this happen before. I've always either gotten our chicks from one of the local feed stores or had them specially ordered in from our feed store. I've also hatched some silkies from mail order eggs. This year, I decided to try ordering directly from one of the mail order companies. On Wednesday, we picked up 15 seemingly healthy chicks. As of this morning, we have lost seven. We lost one on Wednesday, two on Thursday, one on Friday, and then three yesterday. I have been fighting "pasty butt" on all of them, but other than that, no obvious signs of anything. They will literally be up and moving around acting completely normal, and then when we check on them a couple of hours later they are dead.

I'm using the same set up I have for the last ten years. They are in a large oval shaped stock tank. Temps are good (I've never even checked temps before this batch!), the chicks tend to lay around the edge of the lamp where I've read is where you want them to be. There's plenty of room in the tank for them to get away from the heat. They are eating and drinking and have Vital Pack in their water.

I am just sick over this. Any thoughts???

This was my first time ordering chicks online as well. I ordered 19...1 was dead upon arrival and a few were compromise, I tried to make sure that they were getting enough electrolytes and they all peaked back up but I've been fighting for 1's life for the past 2 days and this morning I came in to check on her and she was still hanging on but 2 more of my buff Orpingtons were suddenly dead.. I've been dealing with pasty butt much more than i ever have with any other chicks I've raised... i haven't lost a baby chick before so I'm a little traumatized with this online thing... never again