meat birds dieing. Need help!

[dreithel]

I'm raising 12 meat birds and 12 layers. Got them about 1 1/2 weeks ago. Have them all together in the brooder. I lost 2 chicks right off. Then about 3 days later I lost a 3rd. Now today I lost the 4th one ! All of them are meat birds. The last 2 seemed like they were ok. Then all of a sudden they didn't want to move, had their wings out alittle bit. The last one, I was able to get her to drink and eat last night and I put her into a cardboard box. This AM she was dead.
I'm putting piobotic (Spelling?) in the water and I'm feeding them organic starter feed.
Can anyone help?!!

 

[bj taylor]

I have no medicinal help for you. just wanted to say sorry you're having a hard time w/your meat birds. hope you get some good answers here. could they have come to you sick?

 

[dreithel]

I was thinking that they had come here sick. On avg. one has been dieing every 3-4 days.

 

[Clackclack]

You probably got infected birds. I would separate the meat birds from the rest and make sure they stay away from any other chickens if you have any. Probably not a good place where you got them from, maybe call them and ask whether they had any other complaints...

 

[dreithel]

Thanks Clackclack.
The place that I got them from is a very good place but, they had given me 4 x'tra birds to replace some. I'll be giving them a call tomorrow. They had brought in about 600 day olds in one shipment. I'm wondering if anyone else is having a problem with these birds. It makes me sick to see the chicks running around one day and just laying there the next.

 

[Clackclack]

The problem starts with 600 birds being transported in close confinement, probably from a commercial breeder. Best to buy from local breeders that have healthy and smaller flock, anyways, that's my experience.