Are They Dying?

[Book]

We have 6 chicks, 4 (Silver Laced Wyandottes, Black Australorps) of them we got from a feed store, they are growing fast, seem healthy and very active . We got 2 Jubilee orpingtons from a farm a few hours from us, they are very light in color, supposed to be 2 weeks old as well but we have only had them for a week. They are so small and I swear they do not seem to be growing. We have seen them eat before and drink as well.


You can hardly see the two small light colored chicks in the back under the light.

Sadly two days ago I let their brooder bin get too wet (had not changed in a day and a half) and all the chicks got to looking wet and yucky. I of course changed the shavings right away. The 4 bigger birds have been cleaning up but the small Jubilees are just not doing much, very lethargic. They are half the size of the 4 bigger birds. I am worried they are dying.

We took them all out of the brooder bin tonight and set them up in a bigger brooder we made, we lowered the light as it had gotten colder here the last few days. The bigger birds love it and have been fanning their wings under it and cleaning themselves. The little one just stand under it, not even laying down together.

They are on medicated chick feed only. They always have water and I put the electrolytes and probiotics powers in those. What can I do? Should I give the messy little chicks a bath? Will that stress them too much?

I am just not sure what to do for them.

The bigger brooder area:

 

[Book]

Photo of the small bin brooder we had them in before:

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(Photo shows 2 chicks we gave away and replaced with the little Jubiless)

 

[fried green eggs]

Make sure they haven't developed a pasty butt. I would cook a scrambled egg and mash it up into small crumbles and see if you can get them to eat some. Holding their bottom only in nice warm water and gentle massage may help internal plumbing. Dry them as much as possible after. Hope they perk up

 

[LPeaslee]

If they are not eating out of the feeder, try putting down a few paper towels under and around the feeder, then sprinkle feed on the paper towels, be generous with the feed. Do this for 3-4 days until they start eating out of the feeder.

 

[Book]

We have seen them eating out of the feeder thankfully so I don't think that is it but... what do I know, I am new to this. No sign of pasty butt on them but soaked the weakest looking ones bottom just in case.

Someone mentioned the 3 hour drive could have been on them a week ago but the other 4 chicks were shipped chicks and delayed in the mail even and are thriving.

Could they be sick? Wouldn't my other chicks get sick too?

Maybe the other chicks are not accepting them or making life hard for them? I haven't seen it but the two little ones seem to be alone often, not even together. The other 4 chicks that are doing well are often all together.

 

[LPeaslee]

Try sugar water for a day and see if that perks them up. I can't remember the exact amount you should use, but a quick search should yield results.
I gave my chicks sugar water for first day, plain water for 2 days, then the third day I gave them electrolytes for a day. Now I only give them electrolytes about every 4-5 days.
I have heard of people over doing the electrolytes and causing problems with their chicks.

 

[LPeaslee]

I'm not saying you have done anything wrong, I would just try changing their diet just to see if it has any affect.

 

[Book]

Thank you so much for the help, it means a lot!

I contacted the farm and the lady let me know keeping them in the garage even with the heat light might have been to drafty for the imported breed We put blankets over top the big brooder we made and that should be better for them?

I will look the sugar water up!

One of the chicks looks to be doing great tonight. It is hanging out with the others, very lively, eating and drinking.

The other chick is hardly moving though.... my husband soaked it's bottom as suggested though it has no signs of pasty butt. Last night this chick was eating out of his hand and drinking from a little cup my husband was nursing it with. Tonight though it will not eat or drink anything. I don't think it will make it through the night.

 

[fried green eggs]

Chicks are fragile and sometimes even when you do everything right for them - they still die. Putting a blanket over a brooder in the garage will help - However make sure there is a section not covered so, they will get some fresh air without drafts. You may find covering more of the brooder at night and then uncovering a little more during the day when it's warmer will help keep their area more comfortable. It's a good idea to put a thermometer in the brooder.
I don't know how big your brooder is or how cold your temps are now but, keep in mind that brooder bulbs do burn out sometimes and if that is the chicks only heat source and it stops they can die very quickly. They can also get over heated and die very quickly too.

 

[Book]

Sadly the little chick passed away, but her sister is doing very well now.

Thank you all for the advice and understanding. We had to explain to our 8 year old son that chicks can be delicate and sometimes things just die. He seemed to take it in stride in part because we had found a chick to replace it (so the younger sisters don't even know it died....)

Lets hope we can help these 6 thrive from here out. I will get the thermometer for the brooder tomorrow and will keep the house/garage door open so the garage is getting heated from the house as well. We have our fridge in the garage as it doesn't fit in the house so with 6 of us we are often out there and so always checking on the chicks right there as well.

We are using one of this toddler pens as the base for the brooder and then lined the inside and bottom with cardboard and then put shavings down. The dimensions say "six-panel yard encloses up to 18.5 square feet and is 26 inches high." We figured they would grow into it. They seem happier now than when in the bin we had been using.

Maybe I will get two thermometers to see what the temp is on the far side from the heat lamp.