Meat bird deaths

[BellaM]

Hi everyone,

Feedback please ...

It's the 5th time I'm raising meat birds from day old and I've always experienced "unexplained" deaths i.e I'll just find a dead bird in the shed.

I buy from a reputable supplier, I use quality feed (starter, grower and finisher). I use shavings (deep litter method), putting down a fresh layer twice a day. I also give them fresh water twice a day. I raise one batch a year.

I add a splash of apple cider vinegar and a dash of spices (cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne pepper) to every 3rd or 4th bucket.

The birds appear to be healthy - active and bright eyed, no diarrhoea (occasionally there'll be one or two slightly runny poos but nothing consistent). It's also definitely not overcrowding.

Regarding the dead birds, they don't have dirty bums and there's no indication of illness prior to death. I haven't opened them up though.

I've asked around and the general consensus is heart failure BUT my sister-in-law shared a batch with me and hasn't had any deaths (at 5 weeks) and I've had 4.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[Mo_fawaazzz]

Google up "sudden chicken death syndrome"
It's epidemic for broiler breeds. Some people say that it may be triggered by high carbohydrate intake, but most of the causes are unknown.

It is a cardiac-related illness, so exercise, diet, sunlight should play a factor in this.

https://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/blog/sudden-chicken-death-syndrome/

 

[Eggcessive]

It is always good to get a necropsy by a vet lab, or do one yourself on the dead birds, in case coccidiosis might be a problem. Can you get amprollium or Coxoid there? Sorry for your losses. Here are some pictures of the intestines with coccidiosis in young chickens:
https://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/diseases-of-poultry/206/coccidiosis

 

[BellaM]

Google up "sudden chicken death syndrome"
It's epidemic for broiler breeds. Some people say that it may be triggered by high carbohydrate intake, but most of the causes are unknown.

It is a cardiac-related illness, so exercise, diet, sunlight should play a factor in this.

https://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/blog/sudden-chicken-death-syndrome/

Thank you, I'll do some research on this.

 

[AidKD]

I feel you. This exact same thing has happened to me with every batch I've gotten. It's very frustrating!

 

[BellaM]

At least we're not alone?!

 

[AidKD]

At least we're not alone?!

Yeah, no kidding!

 

[BellaM]

It is always good to get a necropsy by a vet lab, or do one yourself on the dead birds, in case coccidiosis might be a problem. Can you get amprollium or Coxoid there? Sorry for your losses. Here are some pictures of the intestines with coccidiosis in young chickens:
https://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/diseases-of-poultry/206/coccidiosis

Yes we get both here, although I'm almost 100% certain that it's not coccidiosis because there's no evidence of bloody poop.

But I'll eliminate all possibilities because I'm really tired of loosing birds.

I'm actually not a fan of the broiler industry and would ideally like to find an alternative but so we really like tender chicken and I haven't found another meat bird that isn't tough in comparison. Maybe it's time to stop being fussy!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

my sister-in-law shared a batch with me and hasn't had any deaths (at 5 weeks) and I've had

Does your SIL also give the ACV and herbs, or just plain water?

 

[nao57]

I've actually posted similar responses to yours on other questions. The issue isn't 'Reputable supplier'. The real issue is, mill feed, alone won't work. It just won't. Even if you go to a more reputable supplier. There is stuff in the feeds that shouldn't be there. And this is why so many of us are getting sick or dead birds. Or our hens won't lay. Or our chicks are too weak to survive.

They need more nutrition and not only the feed/starter/etc.

So... what worked for me;

You feed them 75 to 80% the feed/starter/etc. Then do the remaining percent an UNMILLED WHOLE seed. You want unmilled unshelled seed because once its milled the nutrition is already being tampered with. So this remaining percent I would split evenly between pigeon barley and sunflower seeds (unmilled, unshelled, whole seed).

This worked well. I saw changes right away. Now you have to be careful with sunflower seeds because if they are too small those can choke them or cause a blockage. You have to get them past that stage first. But as soon as they are big enough... it will work. And you can tell this because you'll see ducklings, etc really hungry for the unmilled seed! (an indicator!)

So... to help you understand this... when the seed, or barley, or whatever is UNMILLED that's when its at its highest nutrition. Once its milled or put in a feed bag its already tampered with. And these companies aren't that different anymore. When everything went into stocks and bonds in the stock market, once something becomes a corporation it doesn't have 1 chief in command, it now has hundreds. And the hundreds of owners are the same owners in the company across the street, and across the other street, etc. What this translates to is that there's very little difference in how these companies operate. The employees often hop around in the same industry, doing things the same way also.

So you have to try to think outside the box. This is why I suggest you try what I did on doing like 80% from the feed, and then 20% whole barley seed till they are big enough to then add sunflower seed in. You don't have to pay a lot for these either. A mill can sell you a 40 or 50 lb bag of pigeon barley, really cheap. Barley is also much cheaper than wheat, and sunflower seeds making it a very nutritious but cheap product to augment your nutrition. its amazing stuff.