TSC chicks keep dying despite ideal conditions

[Papi chulo]

I didn’t have any die from TSC, however 2 of the 4 cornish had split leg. I couldn’t get them to recover. Is it the new brooders?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I can't tell you the specific place I found it. I read every thing I could find for a couple of days because I was trying to blame the feed or the shavings under the paper towels in the brooder. Finally found it on a veterinary/animal husbandry/university site or two, but don't remember which ones. Once I knew what to look for I found affirmation in other professional articles, so not just uninformed opinions.

I would be interested in reading those professional articles. I have never read that Coccidia can be transmitted through the chicken egg to the embryo, so would like to learn something.

No, not assuming it was an uninformed opinion.
I'm thinking it through LOL Makes sense actually. Chicks in a brooder that's never had chicks before can absolutely have Coccidiosis. We know the oocysts are in their poop, but those have to sporulate and a large number have to be ingested in order for the bird to become "infected". Brooder conditions (warm/moist) are ideal for sporulation and chicks eat poop. It would generally take 4-7 days after ingestion to start showing symptoms, so...it's a good possibility that chicks as young as 5-6 days to have severe symptoms. My thoughts on that timeline. (takes 1-2 days for oocysts to sporulate)

I know you already researched it, but don't mind my rambling talk typing, I'm working it through in my head if shipped chicks would have "time" to develop clinical signs - meaning the chicks "should" only be around 3-4 days upon arrival at the store. Here, my TSC will sell out within just a few hours of receiving shipment, so chicks wouldn't be more than 4 days old when purchased. BUT if chicks were a little older when purchased - yes Coccidiosis.
Wouldn't hurt to treat regardless.
Thank you for your comments - very helpful! Made me put on my thinking cap and look at this in a different light!

 

[Momma hen quack]

My friend bought 2 ducks from Tractor supply and by the night both were dead. She said the one couldn't close it's eyes. Looking at the picture my friend sent, it looked like the one duck had sticky eyes and I suspect some sort of respiratory infection. I told her to call Tractor Supply to see if other ducks had died. I have never had that happen and I have raise ducks for 8 years. I have also raised chickens for 4 years. I've had 1 chick die within 2 days that I raised from an egg and at least 2 die in the eggs. One chick wasn't doing well but I feed it CORID in a water dropper and food every few hours and it came back. Sounds like infection from the breeder for so many states to be affected. I live in Indiana.

 

[Chickenwalls]

I’m one week with my 6 chicks all are doing well and the third day two were looking bad but both are great now

 

[April-n-Moe ChickenChicks]

Hey All,
I wanted to jump in with my experience with chicks this spring. I bought 4 from a nearby Wilco last Saturday, and then I bought 4 assorted bantums from a nearby TSC on Sunday. All of the Wilco babies died within the first 3 days; the TSC babies are doing great.
I know that on a local level this has been a big discussion (in Oregon), and it seems like there is a lot that is at fault with the brooder (which others have already posted about). An employee also shared with me the shipping issues that have been going on and how many DOA chicks they had with the shipment my new babies came from. I know that some hatching eggs I ordered recently (sent 3 day priority Via USPS) showed up after exactly a week and all of them were shattered, despite the quality packaging from the breeder. So, shipping is definitely a part of the equation.
I do think the coccidiosis aspect could play a part with some shipments, but I had tried mixing my birds and none of them have shown any signs of any illness...I have two home hatched chicks that were around the sickly bunch and both are still super healthy. It has been more than the 4 days for coccidiosis to develop and I have seen no signs to cause concern. However, it does make a lot of sense that it could also be playing a part in all of the 1000’s of chicks death across the country right now.

 

[cgaylemedders]

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.

They are not maintaining temperature. We are having that issue in SC. The chicks are dying in the brooders.

 

[DebH55]

I ordered chicks from Tractor Supply that shipped to me from Hoover's Hatchery, scheduled for the same date as an order I placed from Cackle Hatchery. The Tractor Supply/Hoover's chicks arrived THREE WEEKS EARLY with only one day's notice. One of the 10 chicks never ate or drank and died. The other 9 got constant pasty butt in the first couple of weeks. One never fully recovered and is now half the size of her sisters. I asked Tractors Supply customer service and they just said they were sorry they'd arrived early, no explanation. They deleted my review on their website.

My Cackle Hatchery order arrived exactly on time. I haven't been able to combine the chicks yet due to the age and size difference now. The Cackle chicks were brooded under identical conditions. All 17 (I ordered 15) lived and thrived. Not a single pasty butt. Feisty, healthy chicks from the start. Ridiculously easier to brood. I'm not ordering chicks from Tractor Supply again.

 

[chickencoop57]

Hmm, this is troubling. I never lost any from TS. Hope they figure this out but I'd definitely get a refund.

 

[Birdsonghill]

Stress from shipping is the biggest cause of deaths in new chicks, I have received through the mail, for the last 45 years. Delays have been #1 killer, shaken chick syndrome #2 and exposure to cold #3, for me. It has gotten much worse in recent years(last 15 to 20 years). Some postal employees or possibly a hatchery employee, shaking or tossing the shipping boxes, killing and injuring birds and stressing all of them severely, has happened to me. Also, the post office leaving the chicks outside on the loading dock overnight, because they had an odor, has happened to me. I believe most chick mortality the first week are from such shipping issues, if the new chicken recipients are doing the right things. Of course, in this case it could be coccidiosis or TSC employees failing the new arrivals. Vaccinating for Marek's and Coccidiosis, by the hatchery , is great for preventing problems and you don't have to feed drugs and can use organic feed methods. The bad employee problems can not be directly addressed by us, it is the post office and others in the delivery chain that needs to police themselves, on that issue. I am anxious about my expected May delivery! Good luck everybody!

 

[donnavee]

I'm in the middle of NC and was told by a clerk at TSC not to get any chicks on the first day of arrival. She said they have been having a lot of problems with chicks not making it. She blamed it partly on shipping delays and on their heating system. I bought some bantams from TSC a couple of yrs ago and they died during the 10 minute drive home. I have been afraid to get any from them since.