[Bobby74]

Hi,
     I'm looking for advice on my chicks, I did have 7 and now they are 3 weeks old and I have lost 4!
They are on medicated chick crumbs, plenty of fresh clean water and are kept on shavings indoors in a indoor rabbit cage with their own heat lamp.
They are fit and healthy and show no signs of illness and then they just drop! They never had any visible signs of illness, pasty bums etc. So I'm at a loss to what could be happening. I have 3 left and want to keep it that way!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you! 

[the Kergan]

Could they be getting to hot?
I dont remember keeping chicks under the lamp to long when my family reared chicks years ago.

[kegs]

I'm clutching at straws here and I'm not an expert either but I hope it might throw up something so that someone with experience can help. 

What sort of heating/bulb are you using in your brooder box for the chicks?  Are you using a good/fresh bag of chick crumb?  Had the rabbit cage/feeders/drinkers been disinfected and if so what with?  Where did the eggs come from?

Does anyone know whether it could be anything to do with the eggs before they're incubated that might cause so many deaths?

I've checked in The chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow and the only diseases for 3 week old chicks who die from sudden death that aren't in the 'rarely die from' category are 'sudden death syndrome' 'infectious anemia' and  'ulcerative enteritis'. 

Wish I could be more help and good luck with the other chicks.

[themagicaltoad1]

Could your rabbit hutch have red mite? They might be being bled to death?

[rileyfin]

I would try taking them off the medicated chick crumb and use some unmedicated. Also start adding some cider apple vin to the water, and used bottled water instead of tap water. CAV helps with the ph balance in the gut, I mix approx 5ml to 1ltr water.

I only use unmedicated chick crumb now, if I get any problems I add coxoid to the water. I had real problems last year with chicks on medicated crumbs they would just stop thriving and die, no matter what I did.

This year, touch wood, things are going reasonably smoothly 
Hope things get better

[Bobby74]

Thanks to everyone who posted a reply. 

They are kept in a plastic zoo zone cage, so no wood for red mite to hide, thanks for the suggestion themagicaltoad1. 

I will get some non-medicated chick crumbs tomorrow and I already have cider apple vinegar for my hens
So will start adding as soon as. I have trawled through books and don't seem to be doing anything wrong and I don't know how fresh the chick crumbs are either, so will change just to be sure.

Where would I get the coxoid to add to their water, if I encounter any problems?

This is my first hatch and still new to this, but don't want any more of my little fluffies to die.

Thanks again Sam   

[kegs]

I bought some Coxoid online at MedicAnimal.

Nice rabbit cage!  I wish I'd seen these before I bought a plastic tub, it looks ideal as a brooder cage.

Good luck with the other chicks Sam.