TSC chicks keep dying despite ideal conditions

[kmac720]

Last Friday we picked up 6 bantam chicks from TSC and went back Saturday to pick up a few more since ours were doing so well. The 5 we brought home on Saturday started dying within a few hours of being home and all 5 were deceased within 24 hours. My 6 from Friday were still ok but I’m very concerned to say the least. The original 6 had a little pasty butt that we were able to control quickly but the second group didn’t even have that issue. I woke up this morning to one of the pasty butt chicks having passed even though he was fine last night. We have been raising chicks for well over a decade and expect a few losses but this is mind boggling and emotionally difficult. We use the heating pad brooder, electrolytes and keep all new babies in our kitchen so we can closely monitor them the first week. I called TSC to let them know the situation because I was concerned something was wrong with the whole batch. The manager was also concerned as he had numerous reports from other stores as well as his own. According to him my chicks came from the same shipment on Friday and my 5 from Saturday were the last oh that batch. I noticed that our TSC had started using a new brooder system and hypotheses that that is a possible culprit considering my Friday chicks had just arrived when we picked them out. I had planned to allow my broody to take over the chicks after the first night but I’m scared to introduce the chicks to my flock even if they make it through. Any insight?

 

[pepe1]

I bought 18 chicks from a TSC store and had 9 die in the first two days, i have brooded chicks for over 30 years and have never had anything like this, could be a bad batch, shipping in the cold or the new brooders who knows.

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

This is troubling. What part of the country are you in?

 

[kmac720]

I’m in eastern NC

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

I’m in eastern NC

Thank you.

 

[Harmoni]

I am on the 3rd day of having 4 ees from tsc. I'm going to follow this to see if more people are having this issue.
I'm in central FL.
I'm not sure why the new brooders would be the issue. They seem cleaner and safer than heat lamps and pine bedding.

 

[kmac720]

I agree, I was super impressed with the new brooder but maybe there was some paint fumes that didn’t burn off completely or a learning curve with the employee, I find it interesting that my ones who spent very little time in the brooder are doing well while the ones that spent over a day in the same brooder died so quickly. Just grasping at straws to explain what has happened.

I am on the 3rd day of having 4 ees from tsc. I'm going to follow this to see if more people are having this issue.
I'm in central FL.
I'm not sure why the new brooders would be the issue. They seem cleaner and safer than heat lamps and pine bedding.

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

I wonder what hatchery they use out east. Its Hoover around here.

 

[kmac720]

I wonder what hatchery they use out east. Its Hoover around here.

I’m planning on heading over today to talk to the manager for a refund and will ask since I am also curious on the hatchery.

 

[kerbotx]

From watching the threads here & elsewhere, one issue being repeated is that the new brooder cages weren't plugged in until the chicks arrived, and possibly they should have been plugged in the night before, to give them time to reach the proper temperature needed by the chicks. But is that really a thing? Can the chicks be too cold for a bit at the beginning, warm up & recover, only to die a little while later? Those brooder cages are also sold by TSC, perhaps someone who has bought one could clarify the heat issue?