Chick Casualties

[Wyorp Rock]

IMO it's likely shipping stress, as you're working with the odds against you if chicks are being shipped in cold (or hot) temperatures.

Agreed, very likely shipping stress. Sadly, it happens more often than one would think.


The wording used tells quite a bit right here in your first post - you already had one in bad shape when you recieved the package, a couple more were gone within an hour...
Shipping, temperature fluctuations, rough handling(?) can all be contributors of losing chicks.
I'm sorry that you're dealing with this, hopefully things have leveled out and the rest will make it.

TLDR, if you have Poultry Nutri-Drench on hand, give each surviving chick 2 drops orally twice a day for a couple of days. Or, if you have electrolytes like Sav A Chick use those for a couple of days then switch to plain fresh water.

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.

 

[TyRi]

*MORNING UPDATE*
All remaining 7 before bed are up and awake now this morning! First night without a loss!!

 

[TaylorGlade]

I'm so happy for you and your chicks! Ty for the update

 

[TyRi]

Got the refund started from the hatchery. They offered replacement but with the tsc chicks, i would have too many chickens compared to the accommodation. I also am now gun shy of shipping lol
Headed to tsc in a bit to get back to a full brooder now that i have a handle on the situation!! ** I BELIEVE **
Will report back in the morning for anyone interested!

 

[TaylorGlade]

Good luck. Get some Sav-a-chick if you don't have any. Someone at TSC should be able to point you at it

 

[TyRi]

18 kiddos for a full brooder!

4 blue Plymouth rock
4 olive eggers
3 barred rock
3 pearl star leghorns
2 silver laced wyandotte
2 amberlink

Everyone is getting long nice and everyone seems nice and healthy!! These pearl stars are hosses!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I also am now gun shy of shipping lol

Yeah I've never had chicks shipped, and I'd definitely caution against having them shipped in early spring/late fall, when it might be too cold, or in middle of summer, when it might be too hot. I'd rather pay the feed store to deal with the unknown of opening up the boxes, and I like being able to see the chicks and approving the ones I get before walking out of the store.

 

[TyRi]

I'd rather pay the feed store to deal with the unknown of opening up the boxes, and I like being able to see the chicks and approving the ones I get before walking out of the store.

The guy at tsc was scooping extremely fast and pretty care free digging his hand in the group so wasn’t a huge fan of that but everyone seems okay and correct when i got home. Feel much better about the birds as a group now knowing they were at tsc first and made the trip there okay. I know there is still a good chance not everyone makes it to adulthood but know Im doing everything i can to get them there!

 

[TaylorGlade]

The guy at tsc was scooping extremely fast and pretty care free digging his hand in the group so wasn’t a huge fan of that but everyone seems okay and correct when i got home. Feel much better about the birds as a group now knowing they were at tsc first and made the trip there okay. I know there is still a good chance not everyone makes it to adulthood but know Im doing everything i can to get them there!

Yes. But you are always free to review what they've given you. My husband got our Maran's from TSC a few days ago. They cost several dollars more than other breeds because TSC considers them a "premium breed." My husband opened the box to find a box full of gold fluff - which were the olive eggers sharing the bin with the Marans. Had he not double-checked, we would have walked out with the wrong babies - and paid more since the other weren't "premium". If you ever aren't comfortable, they are usually good at exchanging them for you before you check out

Congrats on the full brooder! Fingers crossed that all goes well.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes. But you are always free to review what they've given you. My husband got our Maran's from TSC a few days ago. They cost several dollars more than other breeds because TSC considers them a "premium breed." My husband opened the box to find a box full of gold fluff - which were the olive eggers sharing the bin with the Marans. Had he not double-checked, we would have walked out with the wrong babies - and paid more since the other weren't "premium". If you ever aren't comfortable, they are usually good at exchanging them for you before you check out.

x2. I shop at smaller stores, where the employees grab one at a time and show them to you before boxing. I have no problem telling them to avoid grabbing certain birds and I'll double check the box before we go to check out, since most stores have a policy that once you step out the door, they're yours.