Dying Chicks-Please help

So I have hatched and raised dozens of barn yard mixes and they always did so well.

Well I've decided to get purebred Polish from a hatchery. Last week I had 25 shipped that arrived on my birthday....all dead. I was devastated. I called the hatchery crying and they apologized and sent a new shipment this week.

So 4am this morning, my postal office called and I picked up my babies and only one was dead. I ran them home, gave them each a couple drops of Nutri-Drench, showed them their water and went to work (I was 2 hours late but they were worth it). I have them in a brooder with paper towels as the bedding, one side of the brooder is 95 degrees, the other cools down to about 80 degrees.

I came home from work and 3 more chicks were dead and 3 were very weak. I separated the 3 weak ones since the others were trampling them. Syringe fed them Nutri-Dench water mixture and kept them warm. The others seemed very hyper but I made sure to reintroduce water in case they had forgotten.

Then 1 of the 3 weaklings spazed for a few seconds, stretched out and died. The other two aren't showing any improvement.

Now 2 more seem weak, or just sleepy, I don't know, I'm just so fearful of losing anymore. I never had this problem when hatching my own.

What is causing them to die and how can I help? I am an emotional mess right now!

I think its pretty typical to lose a few from the stress of shipment. Between the cold weather, movement, no food or water... They are pretty delicate it the first few days of life.
I hope all goes smoothly from here on out!!

x2. It's pretty cold to have chicks shipped, although I've no idea where yours came from. Polish are small, also more fragile than standard chicks. You are having an awful time! The worst I've ever done with shipped chicks was 10% deaths, and I was horrified. May things go better for the rest, and I'd be talking to the hatchery again. How long were they in transit? Mary

I agree it's probably shipping issues. Where did they come from? I'm West coast, but haven't you all been having horrific cold weather? I'd wait until late March or April to order chicks. Not winter, not high summer either.

Folly's place said:

x2. It's pretty cold to have chicks shipped, although I've no idea where yours came from. Polish are small, also more fragile than standard chicks. You are having an awful time! The worst I've ever done with shipped chicks was 10% deaths, and I was horrified. May things go better for the rest, and I'd be talking to the hatchery again. How long were they in transit? Mary

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I don't want to upset the hatchery, but at the same time, I believe they should know. Do you think they will "black ball" me from ordering list or something? I'm not the type to cause trouble but I did pay decently for female Polish chicks and a total of 7 are dead (thats about $30 I've lost). They shipped Tues night around 7pm and I picked them up from the post office at 4am Thurs.

Ogdenfarms22 said:

I think its pretty typical to lose a few from the stress of shipment. Between the cold weather, movement, no food or water... They are pretty delicate it the first few days of life.
I hope all goes smoothly from here on out!!

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I hardly got any sleep last night because I was stressing over them so much. Only 18 outta 25 are still alive, but they seem to be doing well. After this, I doubt I will EVER have chicks shipped again, this is killing me emotionally.

donrae said:

I agree it's probably shipping issues. Where did they come from? I'm West coast, but haven't you all been having horrific cold weather? I'd wait until late March or April to order chicks. Not winter, not high summer either.

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They are from Murray McMurray Hatchery. I live in Kentucky and our winter hasn't been that bad, our temps are in the 40-50s this week, thats why I thought ordering early would be ok.

How are the 18 doing this morning?
Are they eating?

Also wondering how the babies aredoing today!! Hoping all is well.

Wow....Sorry you lost chicks....
If the Hatchery is good? They love the feed back on any losses....
Also baby pedialite is great as a first drink to shipped Chicks. Dip all chicks beaks into the water one at a time...They then learn to drink...

Again, how sad....

Best of luck and call the Hatchery for sure....

Sorry for your loses, hopefully the remaining ones continue to thrive.
Definitely notify the hatchery as to the deaths...maybe wait until Monday to see if anymore succumb.
They should know, and they should also give you a refund for the ones that died.
I doubt they'll 'black ball' you....they'll probably only give you credit rather than a refund.

MMcM has always been good, in my experience. Call them again, and let them know about it. I think shipping stress; probably they were really chilled somewhere on their trip. So sorry, again. Mary