Please Help! Lost over 300 chicks in 2 months

[LouManChu]

I'm losing about 15 chicks a day
all the top hats first.
and there all from one breader,
except the ducklings goslings and turkeys are doing fine from them
and the all the chicks i got from a breeder from Texas is doing fine.
this is the fourth replacement.
a cupple times all the chicks were dead at the post office.
the one that did ship in alive would eat
for a day or so then starve to death
I can fix a gravy mix of starter and water and they'll seem to eat till they can move, but they wont eat it dry I switched from 18% purina starter I been useing inthe the past months to 30% gamebird starter on this batch to see if it would give them a boost,
the new goslings are loveing it there growing like a weed, and the chicks from Texas are eating it and growing faster and doing good, but out of the 75 tophats I got last week I only got 2 left and a few silkies, I was wondering if they had a ginetic (or inbred) problem at that on hacthery becuase some of the chicks came with web feet and just plain acting stupid.
please help I never had this proplem before and after trowing 2 hands full of 1 week old baby tophats in the trash everynight is getting heartbreaking.
the postoffice also said there fixing to not insure they compony much longer because of all the claims.
thank you, lost in S.C...........

 

[Critter Crazy]

May I ask what Hatchery you go ttthem from?? someone on here might have had a similar problem, and could help you.

But to me, sounds like bad hatchery.

 

[Poison Ivy]

omg that is so terrible! I think it would be the hatchery and not you. What has the hatchery said about the problem you've been having? I would ask for a full refund and go with someone else from now on to get my chicks from.

 

[4H kids and mom]

Wow. I'm so sorry for all your losses. I've lost a few here and there, but never "handfulls" of them. I would deffinately let the hatchery know that you are NOT happy and demand a refund or credit, even if you have some remaining chicks still alive.

Also, please post the name of the breeder or hatchery here somewhere so others can be sure to stay away from it! You will save many chicks lives by telling everyone you know (and even those you dont know!) not to order through them. They will be forced to either go out of business, or clean up their act and provide healthier chicks.

 

[chickbea]

I'm not sure what to say. What a tragedy.
I'm assuming you have had at least one necropsy done to be sure that you don't have a pathogen endemic to your property.
However, it does appear most likely that the stock is weak or poorly handled before shipping. Poor little binkies.
Is it a local breeder or a hatchery? There's many others to choose from - I'd jump ship and tell them you want a refund, not a credit.

 

[wlz77]

check your feed make sure u didn't get a bad batch. the whole dog food thing. there saing that some chick feed is now being included

 

[LouManChu]

thanks for replies
MurryMcMurry Hatchery in Iowa is were I'm getting the chicks.
I didn't want to bad mouth them becuase they been trying to help I guess.
pluss I never had this proplem with them in the past when I lived in Florida, I just moved up here in S.C. in January out in the country and thought it would be nice to have a new flock.
out of the first order I recieved in March I saved 35 out of 100, second order or first replacement they were all dead at the P.O 3rd order or second replacement all dead at P.O. 4rth order 3rd replacement 12 dead out of 125 at P.O, I saved about 30, 5th order 4th replacement I recieved last week out of 75 I got about 30 left trying to make it, there barely eating got alot of diaria, and butts pasting up, and not alot of energy, the chicks that with them I got from Ideal Poltry out of Texas are going strong and you got to chase them to catch them and there all in the same brooder althowe the other night one of them did have a stroke or something it could only lay on its side and spin or flip all over trying to get on its feet, if you try to hold it up right it's legs would stick striat down like it was trying to tiptoe and you would have to force it to sit them it would go to flipping again and lay on it side with it foot twiching back and forth real fast and its head and eyes were acting as if it was stoned, I had one of the chicks from the first order do that and it grew out of it a little every day now it in the back yard running around with the rest of the survivers.
I called McMurry yesterday and told them about the chicks and they gave me a credit,
since I'm haveing good luck with the ducks and gooses I told them not to send anymore chicks, but to send me a order of runner ducks to o with the one I got 4 weeks ago,
plus I never seen a runner duck.
anybody know why the chicks i got a few week ago isn't getting there feathers and the out growing there down? only about 4 chicks there feathers start coming in then fall off, and there getting pretty naked.
plus is there a breed of chick with web feet?
I got one, out of this last batch.