Please help ASAP! My new meat birds are dying on their back.

[LaynaDon95]

I can't imagine it being flip at less than a week old. Flip happens because of heart failure, chicks that start dying at 2-3 days old haven't even been around long enough to start having heart failure. Flip is common starting at the 2 week mark and older. I've never heard of a 3-4 day old chick flipping.

Whatever it is, pulling their feed seems to be working. I went to bed with 14 and woke up with 14 and that makes me happy!

 

[bills]

You don't suppose they could be pecking at the leaves you used for litter? Perhaps if some are ingesting it, they could harm them..?
What kind of leaves are they, IE Maple, Oak, etc..?

Problem with the feed perhaps? If the seller doesn't turn over a large amount of inventory, especially of chick starter, could it have gotten moldy, or perhaps turned?

Sad to hear of your problems, I hope it is soon solved..

 

[LaynaDon95]

You don't suppose they could be pecking at the leaves you used for litter? Perhaps if some are ingesting it, they could harm them..?
What kind of leaves are they, IE Maple, Oak, etc..?

Problem with the feed perhaps? If the seller doesn't turn over a large amount of inventory, especially of chick starter, could it have gotten moldy, or perhaps turned?

Sad to hear of your problems, I hope it is soon solved..

I have a sheet over the leaves, now, so I don't think they are the problem. They are oak leaves. I've used them for almost all of my chicks and it has been fine.
The feed is fine. No mold and it smells/look good.
I think they were just overeating. Like I told ivan3 and PotterWatch, my friend's dad said he thinks they were having heat attacks from growing too quickly. I've started taking up their feed more often and so far no more have died.

 

[jdywntr]

Glad to hear it! Maybe they were staying up eating all the time? And weren't getting any rest. They are little food machines.

Regardless of what it was. I'm glad that you may have found a solution.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Glad to hear it! Maybe they were staying up eating all the time? And weren't getting any rest. They are little food machines.

Regardless of what it was. I'm glad that you may have found a solution.

I'm not sure. I hadn't planned on taking up their feed until they were a week old, but apparently these guys needed it much sooner. Still doing well. We have had no deaths today!

Thank God! Now I'm just praying that it stays that way.

 

[foxrfarm]

I am having this same problem in Minnesota with broilers from Hoover's. This is my 7th batch of broilers, and I've never experienced this much loss. I've lost 5-6 for the past two weeks (they are two weeks old on Monday). The last batch was raised in the same brooder, same food, same conditions, etc. and they are fine.