Our rangers are dying off - Help!

[Evergreen160]

I was hoping someone would have some insight into our problem. We purchased 15 Ranger broilers from McMurray and received them almost 2 weeks ago. Since then we have lost 1 every couple of days and now we are down to 9. We talked to McMurray on the phone and they said we were doing everything right and they weren't sure what the problem was. We are at a high altitude (8,000 ft) but I didn't expect to lose so many. They all look great and are eating, drinking, sleeping, pooping,.... then we will suddenly find one dead. This is our first time raising broilers but not chickens - we have layers that are outside. Help!

 

[Elke Beck]

What do the dead ones look like? Are they on their backs? Does the abdomen look distended? Is the crop empty or full? What kind of litter do you have them on? Could they be eating the litter and getting compaction in their crops? Is there a particular time of day they seem to die? Could they be getting cold at night and the weaker ones are getting smothered or trampled by the stronger ones as they crowd together to stay warm?

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

All great questions by Elke Beck. FYI, while I'm also awaiting some Red Rangers from McMurray, I raised 35 Freedom Rangers right at 8,000 ft last summer. I received 36 and only lost one. Haven't had as great luck with the CX I tried this spring. Of the original10, only 7 made it to butchering date. I don't know if altitude had anything to do with that, but my mortality rate seemed higher than other folks who post regularly here.