Pheasant chick die off?

[TuckerNadon]

So I’m coming here as a last ditch effort to figure out what’s going on with these pheasant chicks i’m trying to raise. I have a hen and two male pheasant, two years ago the female laid a clutch of around 25 eggs. Almost all of them hatched, however all the chicks died within a week. They would hatch and eat and drink totally fine. Very active and normal. But then start to get lethargic and within hours after that pass away. I’ve checked and rechecked all temperatures, food, humidity etc and everything should be correct. After the last couple died I got a necropsy done to find out what was going on. They concluded a mild bacterial infection but it was inconclusive. So I sanitized everything and made double sure on the next clutch that everything was as clean as it could possibly be. However it was almost the same outcome. Except this time one survived out of 30. Now this year she’s laying again and I’m hoping to avoid another mass die off. Any ideas on what’s going on here? With how much I’ve sanitized things I almost think it’s some kind of genetic defect or strange disease the mother is carrying. I’ve also attached pictures of the current eggs being incubated in different stages of development.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Have you ever put vitamins, electrolytes or medicine in a metal waterer?
Are you giving them a high protein gamebird starter?
When we were raising ring neck pheasants, we were giving them medicated water but never in a metal waterer. Something about the metal reacts horribly with vitamins, electrolytes and medications.
Wood shavings can cause impacted crops. I used to put an old feedbag down under their feeders so they could focus on that being their food and not the shavings.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

http://www.oakwoodgamefarm.com/game-raising-tips/

 

[TuckerNadon]

Have you ever put vitamins, electrolytes or medicine in a metal waterer?
Are you giving them a high protein gamebird starter?
When we were raising ring neck pheasants, we were giving them medicated water but never in a metal waterer. Something about the metal reacts horribly with vitamins, electrolytes and medications.

No I use a plastic one and didn’t add anything to their water besides pebbles to stop them from sticking their head too deep in it. And yes I’m using gamebird high protein chick starter