Unexplained chick deaths

[Gail]

We have a flock of 12 week old rhode island reds that have been eating well and healthy until yesterday. When we opened up their coop yesterday morning two were dead, with no marks of foul play. This morning one more was dead, and one laying on her side drooling from her mouth, near death. I mixed up a gallon of Sav-A-Chick electrolyte supplement for the flock. It has become hot here in North East Kansas, which brings high humidity, but we run a fan in their coop at night. They have been allowed out of their coop into their run the past week for the first time. We would appreciate your thoughts!

 

[Judy]

100 degrees is supposed to be their limit. If they don't have shade in the run and the coop is too hot for relief during the day, I wonder if the heat is doing it. Another possibility is cocci, which does cause sudden death not always preceded by bloody stools. Of course there are other possibilties -- but I think I would start by cooling them off, even dunking them in a tub of water, certainly giving them breeze and shade during the day as well as night.

 

[Mskayladog]

It's hot here to. I have a old slope sided baking pan roasting pan. I freeze blocks of ice put the ice in the pan and enough water that the chicks can step in it. Mine love it. The water just covers their toes they will splash it out and drink it. I do not have it in the coop I put it in the run so the floor of the coop stays dry. I also out blocks of ice in their water. The girls stop panting almost immediately and I swear they sigh when they first step in it.