Sitting with a cup of coffee. (coffee lovers)

[chickisoup]

How old were they?

4 1/2 weeks. 2 GLW and 1 SLW. One of the GLW was bigger and starting to look more like roo than pullet.

 

[ronott1]

4 1/2 weeks. 2 GLW and 1 SLW. One of the GLW was bigger and starting to look more like roo than pullet.

It would be off for them to all die that fast and not show symptoms but I always suspect cocci when chicks die at that age.

Do you have any rat bait or other poisons close to them?

 

[chickisoup]

It would be off for them to all die that fast and not show symptoms but I always suspect cocci when chicks die at that age.

Do you have any rat bait or other poisons close to them?

Morning Ron. Nothing. They had never been out of their brooder yet. I know. Even if their food was bad there would have been signs or at least they would not have all died at once. I wracked my brain long into the night and the only thing that makes sense is something toxic or electrocution. Electrocution-not possible. I had put plastic over the large bed in our spare bedroom and put the brooder on top. They weren't even near a wall. Only electrical was the Brinsea chick warmer in with them but it wasn't even plugged in. Toxic-that makes the most sense but that would have to be feed, water, environment or inhaled. Feed-older chicks have eaten from the new bag of feed with no problem and the bag has had no exposure to moisture or rodents. Only treats fed was the same scrambled egg all the birds, dog and myself all ate. Water was changed twice a day and came only from our well. Environment was cleaned thoroughly and regularly without any harsh chemicals and plenty of room since there were only three of them. Same woodchips, etc as before, nothing new.

That leaves inhaled and the one, by the lack of symptoms (no diahrea or bloody poo, eating like pigs, drinking, alert,,,,), it just looked like they ALL found a comfortable spot, stretched out, and died. Only problem is I cannot come up with any source for toxic fumes and could smell nothing. I made sure the room was well ventilated but not drafty and no chance for buildup of urates.

For them all to die, as appears to be at exactly (or nearly) the same time with no outward symptoms of illness or distress (they didn't even cry out)and there is not even sign in the fresh woodchips that they seized or thrashed about, makes NO sense.

They weren't over heated, they weren't cold, they weren't hungry but no huge crop, they weren't thirsty. They just laid down and died.

I give up.

I give up.

 

[Bunnylady]

I'm sorry, chicki, I got nothin'. Just

 

[WVduckchick]

I'm still bumfuzzled. Maybe something about the egg didn't agree with them, but wasn't potent enough to hurt you or the dog, them being so little. Just very mysterious.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have been thinking about this, and have drawn a blank. It almost seems like they have a suicide pact sometimes. They are good then dead an hour later.

 

[ronott1]

Morning Ron. Nothing. They had never been out of their brooder yet. I know. Even if their food was bad there would have been signs or at least they would not have all died at once. I wracked my brain long into the night and the only thing that makes sense is something toxic or electrocution. Electrocution-not possible. I had put plastic over the large bed in our spare bedroom and put the brooder on top. They weren't even near a wall. Only electrical was the Brinsea chick warmer in with them but it wasn't even plugged in. Toxic-that makes the most sense but that would have to be feed, water, environment or inhaled. Feed-older chicks have eaten from the new bag of feed with no problem and the bag has had no exposure to moisture or rodents. Only treats fed was the same scrambled egg all the birds, dog and myself all ate. Water was changed twice a day and came only from our well. Environment was cleaned thoroughly and regularly without any harsh chemicals and plenty of room since there were only three of them. Same woodchips, etc as before, nothing new.

That leaves inhaled and the one, by the lack of symptoms (no diahrea or bloody poo, eating like pigs, drinking, alert,,,,), it just looked like they ALL found a comfortable spot, stretched out, and died. Only problem is I cannot come up with any source for toxic fumes and could smell nothing. I made sure the room was well ventilated but not drafty and no chance for buildup of urates.

For them all to die, as appears to be at exactly (or nearly) the same time with no outward symptoms of illness or distress (they didn't even cry out)and there is not even sign in the fresh woodchips that they seized or thrashed about, makes NO sense.

They weren't over heated, they weren't cold, they weren't hungry but no huge crop, they weren't thirsty. They just laid down and died.

I give up.

I give up.

The wood chips were pine shavings? There is an eastern cedar that is toxic. I know it is a stretch for sure though.

 

[sourland]

The wood chips were pine shavings? There is an eastern cedar that is toxic. I know it is a stretch for sure though.

'Fresh wood chips' - you may be on to something, Ron.

 

[chickisoup]

'Fresh wood chips' - you may be on to something, Ron.

Nope. Not fresh. Just clean, Kiln dried. Pine of course. I'm aware of the potential problems with cedar chips. (red cedar anyway. I understand white cedar might be ok but I don't chance it even tho we have them back in our woods.) I only use the big bales of compressed chips you pick up at like TSC for my bedding etc. and I make sure they are the ones that have been sterilized. (Told you I was a biosecurity freak

tho it doesn't seem to have done me much good this time).

 

[perchie.girl]

was it a plastic tote?

I have had water get down into the shavings below and sit and every thing molds... the whole top was dry and clean...

deb