Sudden death of healthy chicks

[I am Katsu]

Today I woke up and when I checked my chicks they were all running around playing. I went to go change their water since it had woodchips on it (I always use purified water for them). After I came back I noticed one started falling down to the ground and kicking It's legs uncontrollably. The rest were doing fine and were still running around, but when I grabbed the one that was acting weird to inspect it I looked down again and one by one in a span of maybe 2 minutes they all started falling down to the ground kicking their legs uncontrollably. I have no idea why 6 perfectly healthy chicks would just fall to the ground and die right in front of my eyes. I have no idea what could have gone wrong, they were 3 days old, they had the perfect amount of heat and they have plenty of food and water. I always wash my hands before handling them and always wash their water containers before refilling their water with room temperature purified water. They had a clean place, they didn't have pasty butt and I doubt they were hungry because I witnessed them all drinking and eating perfectly fine on the second and third day. If someone could please help me out and tell me why this all happened. Thank you.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That has to be some type of poisoning. They don't act that way with heat or cold issues or with disease. The question is what kind of poison.

Chickens have a weak respiratory system so are vulnerable to things like carbon monoxide poisoning or exposure to ammonia gas. Gas leaks have caused problems like that. It is unlikely you would not have had some issues with your breathing if it were that, so probably not anything to do with bad air.

For them all to die that quickly it almost has to be something in the food or water. Think along those terms. How do you purify the water? Did you use a cleaner to sanitize the water or food bowl? Could the food or water have been contaminated?

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Agree to chemical reaction. When you say "purified," what exactly? Welcome to BYC by the way, so sorry it's starting out this way for you....

 

[I am Katsu]

Did every chick in the pen die? Or were some fine?



Were there other chicks in the same room at the same time? If so, were they affected or not?


Did they drink any of the new water before the symptoms started?

They all died. There were some older chicks but they were fine and I was just changing the water and they started dying as soon as I came back. I change it 3-4 times a day and last time I changed it was right before I went to bed about 7 hours before they died.

 

[NatJ]

They all died. There were some older chicks but they were fine and I was just changing the water and they started dying as soon as I came back. I change it 3-4 times a day and last time I changed it was right before I went to bed about 7 hours before they died.

That is really odd.

If there were older chicks in the same room, it probably was not anything in the air of the room.

If they showed symptoms and died without drinking any of the new water, that water should not be the problem.

If the problem was the former water, or the bedding, or anything else that had been in the brooder all night, I would have expected them to die before you found them in the morning, or to die more slowly than what you described.

Dying that fast, all at once, makes it seem like something new was present right then. But if it happened right when you checked on them, and you did not see it or notice it, then I cannot figure out what it might have been.

Unfortunately, I'm just as stumped as everyone else. I feel like your answers have ruled out all the possibilities I was considering, and now I have nothing left

 

[TSWRA]

ive never seen that .. i would suspect someone put something in the water if they all just randomly fell out like that .. i wouldnt even get mad, id get even, their favorite poodle would be having an 'accident' lol ...

You have issues.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Again I'm truly sorry, this would have me really stressed and confused (and doing my best to ignore the bizarre poodle comment.) Can you get a necropsy?

 

[HeidiGetsChicks]

Any chance you had a nonstick pan heating up on the stove or in the oven?

 

[I am Katsu]

Are you using Cedar wood shavings? What heat bulb are you using?

I use pine shavings and a heat bulb that I've been using with most of my previous chicks. I've used them both on all my batches so I don't think this was the problem.

 

[I am Katsu]

Again I'm truly sorry, this would have me really stressed and confused (and doing my best to ignore the bizarre poodle comment.) Can you get a necropsy?

Don't worry about it, what happened already happened. I'll just move on and make sure my other batches are okay and they don't have the same problem. I don't think I want to get a necropsy, I just worry that my other chicks are okay.