Huge massacre. Why?

[Siapin]

Really need some help!

I received 180 Freedom Ranger day-olds week of Nov 15th. Then 70 died the week of Dec 15th. Super devastating! They were doing just fine that first month

I live in SoCal, so it wasn't very cold, even in the winter. But the chicks appeared to be huddling tightly day and night. Why? They mostly feathered out.

There was plenty of food and water. And 5 heat lamps spaced 2-3' apart, with plenty room to move around.

The coop is 12'*12', and has a big run. Built the roosting ladder a week later.

Any good ideas?

 

[sourland]

'Round off' your corners so that they can not crowd into them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have no idea what the weather was like the week they died. Did they act sick or did healthy chicks just die? It sounds like whatever happened happened when you were not around so you can't get any clues from watching them. Were there wounds on the bodies like a weasel may have killed them? It sounds like it was spread out and they all did not die in one event but it was still all in one week. Was something going in in that week that could have frightened them?

Different things could have possibly happened. One possibility is what Sourland mentioned. Something frightened them and they piled into a corner in a panic. The ones on the bottom were suffocated. Were the dead bodies in a corner? That would support this theory.

 

[LaFleche]

Enormous amount of chicks all in one space.
Possibly getting too cold.
Huddling up all on top of each other.
This can easily lead to chicks getting crushed and suffocated.

Also coccidiosis comes to mind.

I do not see any kind of bedding like soft wood shavings or similar?

 

[Altairsky]

Possibly getting too cold.
Huddling up all on top of each other.
This can easily lead to chicks getting crushed and suffocated.

This.