Chick Casualties

[TyRi]

I got my first order of chicks yesterday. 1/5 sapphire gems was gone pretty much on arrival and 2/5 speckled sussexs were gone within the hour even after trying my best to kickstart them. Only super sturdy ones were my starlight green eggers. Woke up this morning to 2 more sapphire gems and 2 more speckled sussexes dead. So currently have 1 ss, 2 sapphire gems, and all 5 starlights kicking. Brooder was mid 70s and brooder plate was nice and warm. Why am i losing them?? Just a bad batch? Sound like stress? Sussexs and gems never looked quite right from the get go. Any words of wisdom?? Please? Thanks.

 

[50-45-1]

Sorry about your bad luck!
Sometimes chicks just have a rough trip and it's to stressful for them.
I wonder how many chicks and space under the brooder? Some times I have had to remove the weak and runt chicks and put them in separate brooder by themselves as the more robust chicks knock them over, walk on them, and heap on top and crush them. Then I find them dead in the morning. Some just need more quiet and tender care to recover.
Are you using medicated chick crumble?
Hard boil a egg and feed the yolk to the chicks. This may help, but wether that's better than the crumble, I'm not sure.
I wonder what bedding you are using? Sometime newborns will eat it instead of the chick crumble.
You gave them chick booster electrolytes in there water, right? I usually continue that for a few days until everybody seems fine.
Not sure if any of this is helpful to you, but worth a try. I hate looseng chicks and speckled sussex are a favorite of mine.
Good Luck!

 

[lagrange chicks]

70 might be a bit cool for the brooder.

 

[TyRi]

Sorry about your bad luck!
Sometimes chicks just have a rough trip and it's to stressful for them.
I wonder how many chicks and space under the brooder? Some times I have had to remove the weak and runt chicks and put them in separate brooder by themselves as the more robust chicks knock them over, walk on them, and heap on top and crush them. Then I find them dead in the morning. Some just need more quiet and tender care to recover.
Are you using medicated chick crumble?
Hard boil a egg and feed the yolk to the chicks. This may help, but wether that's better than the crumble, I'm not sure.
I wonder what bedding you are using? Sometime newborns will eat it instead of the chick crumble.
You gave them chick booster electrolytes in there water, right? I usually continue that for a few days until everybody seems fine.
Not sure if any of this is helpful to you, but worth a try. I hate looseng chicks and speckled sussex are a favorite of mine.
Good Luck!

It is a 18x12 brooder plate and they were on paper towel layers the first night! They had medicated feed and probiotics & electrolytes mix in their water. Tried crumbled egg and the weak ones wouldnt eat so i gave cooked egg yolk on the sides of their beaks and they took some of that. Also tried dipping beaks every half hour-hour to keep them hydrated and getting all the help they could. Fiancé was big time bummed so stopped at tsc this morning and got 4 BRs, 2 laced wyandottes, and 2 amberlinks. To keep numbers up. Everyone but 1 is doing great! Fear we may lose 1 more SS but for now she is getting a little extra care to hopefully keep her going!

 

[TesoroSena]

I got my first order of chicks yesterday. 1/5 sapphire gems was gone pretty much on arrival and 2/5 speckled sussexs were gone within the hour even after trying my best to kickstart them. Only super sturdy ones were my starlight green eggers. Woke up this morning to 2 more sapphire gems and 2 more speckled sussexes dead. So currently have 1 ss, 2 sapphire gems, and all 5 starlights kicking. Brooder was mid 70s and brooder plate was nice and warm. Why am i losing them?? Just a bad batch? Sound like stress? Sussexs and gems never looked quite right from the get go. Any words of wisdom?? Please? Thanks.

I’m really sorry this happened!! They may have had a really rough trip, could have been dehydrated, there are so many things that can go wrong with shipping chicks. I honestly don’t believe you did anything I think something happened in travel.

 

[TyRi]

70 might be a bit cool for the brooder.

I had asked in here and everyone said the plates are good down to 50 so i gotten a red light lamp to keep the ambient temperature up in the 70s for when they come out to eat and drink then back under the plate per friends on here. Wondering if the weaker ones were not able to stand tall enough to get the full plate heat? Only conclusion i can come to besides they were just simply weak batch

 

[TesoroSena]

I had asked in here and everyone said the plates are good down to 50 so i gotten a red light lamp to keep the ambient temperature up in the 70s for when they come out to eat and drink then back under the plate per friends on here. Wondering if the weaker ones were not able to stand tall enough to get the full plate heat? Only conclusion i can come to besides they were just simply weak batch

They may have been, and gotten roughed up, Furthermore weakening them once they arrived, but I think you did everything you could it sounds like they just weren’t meant to make it. I hope your new chicks are doing good! I love Wyandottes. I hope your Sussex makes it as well!

 

[TyRi]

Lost 1 more of the poor sussex.. after the tsc resupply we are sitting at:
5 Starlight Green Eggers
4 Barred Rocks
2 Silver laced Wyandottes
2 Amberlinks
1 speckled sussex
2 Sapphire Gems

All current chicks are doing great! Starlights were running circles around the sapphires and sussex out of the box. Must have gotten a strong batch of them. TSC birds are doing great and the remaining Sussex and Sapphires are doing good. Hopefully everyone remaining are good to go!

 

[Huntmaster]

Lost 1 more of the poor sussex.. after the tsc resupply we are sitting at:
5 Starlight Green Eggers
4 Barred Rocks
2 Silver laced Wyandottes
2 Amberjacks
1 speckled sussex
2 Sapphire Gems

All current chicks are doing great! Starlights were running circles around the sapphires and sussex out of the box. Must have gotten a strong batch of them. TSC birds are doing great and the remaining Sussex and Sapphires are doing good. Hopefully everyone remaining are good to go!

Glad to hear things are starting to smooth out for you and your new littles. GOOD LUCK.

 

[Huntmaster]

Not sure if I have welcomed you to BYC yet but if not WELCOME NEIBHIOR.