Why did the Brown leghorn chicks die?

[charliesgrace]

Hi, I posted back in May for an emergency when I was trying to save two 1 week old Brown leghorn chicks. They didn't make it. So I was thrilled when the breeder offered replacement chicks that were three weeks old. We picked them up on Tuesday evening, and by the next nite we had lost the smallest chick. Everything was the same, except this recent chick had pasty butt; droopy wings, and then bang laying limp in the corner. The bigger Brown leghorn ( likely the roo) is thriving, and thanks goodness she gave my son a gift of a newly hatched baby Cochin so (he) has a buddy.
The chicks are in a rubbermaid with the light in the corner low enough so they don't huddle together, but they are not way off on the opposite corner. They have water and crumbles, and a treat of fresh goat milk yoghurt. Pine pellets for bedding. I think the three chicks that died were all the females.
The first batch surviving Brown Leghorn is a goregous Roo, the alpha male. We have 14 chickens, 6 are Roos, from the first batch of chicks. Amazingly they all get along...so far. knock on wood, eh.
Any ideas what is going on? I don't want to get anymore Brown leghorn babies if I can't figure this out.
Thanks.

 

[popcornpuppy]

I am sorry to hear about your troubles with brown leghorns.
I do not have an answer for you as to why they may have died, but I offer other info.
I asked about brown leghorns from hatcheries because I didn't know that there are several different kinds. this is one of the responses that I got from mom2chicksandpups :
We ordered some Rose Comb Brown Leghorns from McMurray and did not have good luck with them. We've had excellent results with other chicks from McMurray, but the Leghorns did not do well at all. Some were dead when we got them and the others mostly all died one right after another. We have one pullet left now. She is a couple of months old and the others have all been gone since soon after they arrived.

Other chicks that came in the same order did much better. I can't help but to feel that it was something with the leghorns. Ours were rose combs, though, not the type you are thinking about getting.

If you want a picture of my one remaining pullet, I will be happy to post it here tomorrow.

here is a link to the post;
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=229772

I am wondering if she was correct and if there is a problem with the breed.

here is a link to another post that I saw several days ago that talks about red leghorns where the posters have had similar troubles. This is part of the reason why I believe that the breed is problematic.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=229729

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

I'm sorry you lost your baby chicks. I don't know why they died, but I'm thinking you might want to remove the yogurt. I think they need grit to help them digest anything besides their crumbles.

 

[charliesgrace]

Thanks for the replies!
I just received a message from the breeder, she believes it was coccidosis that got this last one, as she found a bloody stool in the box that all the chicks were in, but didn't know which chick it was. If that is the case, then that would be what happened to the first two the symptoms are all the same. These chicks didn't come from a hatchery, but a family farm.
Thanks Arizona Desert for the advice on yoghurt, they don't have access to it all the time, just as a treat. I read a few threads on here to give chicks and chickens yoghurt as an immune boost. now I am unsure what is what.
Other Brown Leghorn is still fine.
I am wondering if Brown Leghorns are best suited to being hatched and raised by a hen, rather than incubating and brooder raising them by peoples?