Bantam chicks mortality rates

[dekel18042]

For those of you with bantams, I have a couple of questions. What is your chick mortality rate? If you raise your own, incubator or broody hatched. Purchased bantam chicks? shipped bantam chicks?
I'm curious because I've had LF much of my life and have raised LF from eggs the last few years. We've never lost a chick once it was in the brooder although last year we had a shipment get lost for a day and some were DOA.
This year my husband wanted to try bantams and he got some as soon as they arrived at the feed store. Temps have been frigid, lower than zero. Despite getting them home in a heated vehicle with heated towel and getting them immediately into a warmed Brinsea EcoGlo, and giving them electrolytes and probiotics, we lost half over the next few days.
We used a lower feeder and waterer. The one thing I would change is it took me until the second day to figure to throw their chick starter in the blender to make it finer.
They're ten days old now, starting to feather, and the ones left seem fine, but it was heartbreaking to lose so many despite our best efforts.
Anything else we should know about the care of bantams and how they differ from large fowl?

 

[Wyandottes7]

When I hatch my own bantam chicks, I only rarely lose any (haven't lost any for the past two years). I suspect that the stress of being at a feed store and traveling to a new home would cause a higher mortality rate.

 

[BantamLover21]

Once my bantam chicks hatch, I've had virtually no mortality (until they become adults and are therefore exposed to further diseases). As chicks, my bantams tend to be very hardy. Shipping, traveling, and other stresses can drastically increase mortality rates, though.

 

[dekel18042]

Thanks for your replies. I'm starting to get cautiously optimistic the remaining ones will survive. Losing the others was devastating. It probably would have been better to have waited until the weather was warmer to bring home babies that had just been shipped.
Unfortunately there was a little silkie in the group we lost. Not sure what breed they are but one has feathered legs and feet and a yellowish head although he looks like a chipmunk. All the rest are cleanlegged and look like chipmunks but some have a lighter or darker background color.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Chick granules instead of chick crumble work well for bantams. I am sorry you lost so many. I just got home a little while ago with some buff laced polish and had to run and get the granules. They were feeding them mash which is fine but a hassle for me since I work and cannot be here 24/7. The little buggers are a lot smaller than I expected with them being 6 days old now.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

The stress of the shipment will cause chicks to die sometimes. For further questions, I would recommend posting in the "Raising Baby Chicks" section.