What am I doing wrong?

[doubleatraining]

So my neighbor and I got the bright idea to split an order of meaties(CornishX). We each ended up with 13.

I put mine in the brooder with water, chick starter feed, and a heat lamp. All were energetic, active, and healthy. At about day 5 I came out to find one dead....no warning. They are now just over 2 weeks old and I have 2 that are lethargic, breathing heavily.....they look like my congestive heart failure patients. I don't think they are going to make it.

So now I'm down to 10......well 9 because I got a little yellow/white chick that isn't a CornishX....just can't prove it until it gets bigger. LOL He is still itty bitty and his feathers haven't grown in 2 weeks. He isn't even shaped the same as the big guys.

So how do I make sure the last 9 survive?

I was thinking of ordering another batch towards the end of this month but right now I'm a little put off.

I think all this does is confirm my idea to raise some nice DP birds. I was just hoping to be able to substitute with a few batches of CornishX here and there.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Having one dead without warning I would not find surprising. But with a couple others showing problems might be a good idea to cut back the heat and light a little, these guys don't take well to overheating.

I have had batches with a few losses for 75 chicks and the current batch we lost half. So to an extent it is a crap shoot. Some of what these meat birds give in efficiency is lost in resilience.

 

[ScottyHOMEy]

Two weeks is young for the congestive/pulmonary problems that can emerge in the CornishX. I suspect you need to be looking for something else. How's your brooder for drafts? What's the temp in the brooder under your heat lamp?

 

[bigredfeather]

I agree the brooder temp might be the problem, and would also rule out CHF at 2 weeks. If the temp under the heat lamp is too hot and it's too cold outside the lamp range, the chicks will choose to stay where it's hot, not go to where it's too cold. In doing so they start to overheat with panting and being lethargic as the symptons of dehydration.. I would check the temp under the lamp and then outside the lamp and see what you got going on.

 

[darin367]

most of the time it's to hot...... move the light back... make sure they can move in and out of the heat...

 

[doubleatraining]

Under the lamp is right at 85-86. The furthest point of the brooder away from the lamp is 74.

They have feathers on their wings and are getting tail feathers.

Should I still move the lamp back?

 

[bigredfeather]

I think I would try moving it up some and see what happens. Just keep an eye on them. I have many times started shutting the lamp of during the day when mine hit the 2 week old mark. As a matter of fact, I have a batch in the barn right now that's that age and I am only turning in on at night.

 

[Tracydr]

I'm brooding some right now in the same brooder as a few silkies and some packing peanuts. The other chicks aren't ready to turn the lights down and I noticed the Cornish, at one week, starting to pant. I'll probably make a mini-tractor and put the Cornish out, since they just don't tolerate the brooder temps that the others need.
Outside, they start panting in weather that my other chickens find beautiful. They are certainly cool weather chickens. I can't believe the batch I raised through our brutal, record hot AZ summer did as well as it did. I was sent a batch of Cornish by mistake from Mcmurray's or I would have never, never raised meaties in AZ in the summer, poor things.
As far as losing one at 5 days, might want to consider coccidiosis. Unlikely, but keep in the back of your mind. Just keep an eye on them. I'd be thinking more along the lines of the usual chick illnesses at this point than something unique to Cornish cross.

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
I would only use a fluorescent bulb for light for a couple hours and see how they act. If active and spread out, you'll have your answer.
I don't measure my temperature much in my brooder much anymore. Seems like each batch is a little different, depending on size of the group and breeds of the chicks.

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
Definietly not coccidiosis. Takes several months of a heavy load to kill them, and when it does, it's a slow death from lack of nutrition.