dead chick

[chelsiemom]

Hello,
new to the forum and new to chickens. Bought 5 chicks in July, (first bought 2, then bought 2 more, then 1 more) and all was fine. Gained confidence. They're out in the coop, living life, hoping to start laying before spring. Was dissapointed that my Buff Orpington turned out to be a white EE. Sad, I set out to find a buff, and started a new brood of chicks. Bought 2 blue laced red wyandottes, my buff and a columbian wyandotte, about 2 1/2 wks ago. They're now inside the rabbit cage in the bathroom, under the light...doing everything the same as my previous bunch of babies.
Suddenly, found the BLRW babies dead. Looking at them, they're alot smaller than their cousins bought at the same time. I'm wondering what I did wrong...Feed store said they might have been younger, but still, making sure they don't have pastybutt, being young shouldn't kill them. Never noticed the other 2 picking on them. Do chicks do that, if a few days/weeks older? Could the bigger ones have been hording the food? TIA

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sometimes the stress of everything is too much and chicks don't get a good start. I've lost a few shipped chicks within the first week, so all the traveling and new homes can be too much.

Sometimes chicks aren't formed right and they don't make it, but usually when there's more than one, and they are that old, I would suspect they didn't get a good start in life early enough at the feed store, or where ever else they can from.

 

[chelsiemom]

Thank you....it just kind of shattered my confidence and made me wonder what I did wrong.

 

[Jensownzoo]

And some breeds just don't seem to handle stress as well as others. My first batch of chicks, I lost all the Speckled Sussex in the first week. Out of 24 that arrived alive, they were the only ones that didn't make it.

 

[chickens really]

And some breeds just don't seem to handle stress as well as others. My first batch of chicks, I lost all the Speckled Sussex in the first week. Out of 24 that arrived alive, they were the only ones that didn't make it.

Funny you mentioned Speckled Sussex....All the ones I got this spring are not as healthy as the rest of my birds...I sold a few...The one I have left has breathing issues caused by LT VIRUS....The rest got over the symptoms...She still coughs....They do not seem to be as strong as most Chickens.....

I love the breed but will not get anymore.....

Cheers!