week old baby chick dying?

[Mizzy]

My baby chicks have been pretty active, healthy, eating, drinking...I check on them all the time. Just now I went into the room and saw one chick laying down looking dead..I tap the cage like I always do when I see the chicks lay down sleeping but think omg they died! And he didn't move. I picked him up and he started chirping like crazy but with his eyes closed.

His breathing is really slow and he lays his head down in my hand turned sideways like he is dead. I touch his back with my finger and he softly chirps, but doesn't open eyes. My guy said he saw him laying there in the corner by himself earlier too. I tried to get him to stand, but he just droops his head down and acts like he is so tired. I dipped his beak in water and he became alert then, but didn't drink and went right back to drooping head and staggering.

He was fine today and now is like this? What could the problem be? All chicks are on medicated feed and were doing great up until now. Heat lamp is on them and all the others are running around eating and drinking and pecking at stuff...

 

[ChooksChick]

After hatching hundreds and hundreds, what I've come to learn is that sometimes they are just not right inside, and they just don't always make it.

I find this often happens on day 3 or 4, when the yolk runs out internally- this seems to keep them going despite anomalies, but when it's exhausted, they pass on. If everyone else is doing well, my guess is there is little you could do to help the baby. I always try a bit of baby parrot food mixed to a paste and given a bit at a time in the tip of the beak. That helps sometimes.

 

[littlemissjellyfish]

I'm sorry about your chickie and hope she pulls through! *hugs*

 

[HBuehler]

It's nothing you are doing...not to sound cold but chicks die.We hatch hundreds and they will either die around day 3 or seem to be fine for a week or two then start with the eyes closed and not overly energetic then they die. I always tell people that buy from me you can provide them with a nice clean warm dry brooder,fresh water and good food but you can't make one live.
I lost one last night same thing just under 2 weeks old..started noticing the symptoms a few days ago and tried all the vitamins and food to no avail..normally I won't I want to weed out the weak from my breeding pens but it was a mille fleur cochin

 

[Mizzy]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Sorry you lost your bird last night HB. Like I told my guy, I guess if I'm going to start raising chickens, I need to get use to the fact some die regardless. Well, he didn't make it last night. At least I know I did all I could. Thanks again guys

 

[ChooksChick]

 

[crawfordmama]

I'm sorry to hear that.

 

[HBuehler]

It's hard especially those first ones..won't say it gets much better because it always seems here it's a favorite or one of the better chicks.Last week we lost 4 to heat alone ..it's weeding out the weaker birds but I never like opening up a pen and finding one dead.. it does go with raising chicks..fickle little things

One little trick is have so many chicks you can't get as attached to one of them...so my recommendation to you is replace the one chick you lost with one dozen chicks..chicken Math

 

[iluvsedward]

i had a 3 mnth old pullet that died on me i think sometimes they just get to stressed out

 

[xera13]

im having the same problem! They all were running around eating drinking and now all he wants to do is sleep. I got him to drink by dipping his beak in water and I think hi vent is open but i noticed yellow whitish crusty beneath it. I wiped it off and he cried a bit but he really dont look good. Im not expecting him to make the night.