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- #81
BrahmasMama02
Songster
- Apr 20, 2020
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This has been a rollercoaster ride! Yeah, I don't know what I've been dealing with. My fiancé and I have had stomach issues the past few days. Don't know if we're worn out by these chicks or what?! Right now, we are at a standstill. Peanut passed away this morning after a long fight. We have one little who's on her way to chicken heaven...I don't know how much loss I can take.
The brooder temps are where they should be^ The light is raised a pretty good ways off of the brooder. Which yes, is a big tote. We are in the works of constructing a big brooder made of moving boxes so that when all of our chicks are bigger, and they aren't dropping dead anymore I'm going to mix them. We are planning on making it pretty big. Will take up a at least 1/6 of our large spare bedroom.
I have come to the conclusion that the chicks aren't overheating. I truly believe that it's something else. I know that overheating is the most likely cause of this mayhem, but because of what I've documented over the past week.... in no way shape or form does it align with the ailment of these chicks.
Here is how it has gone: 11-day old chicks: (mix in the now occasional pasty butt...I finally stopped dealing with this after one yesterday yay).
1) Chick starts sticking by its lonesome away from other chicks who are climbing/ running around with food in their beaks/ chirping happily etc....wings droopy, eyes slightly shut. I give them a few drops out of a syringe with diluted sugar water/ egg yolk or Nutri drench (more severe sick chicks because I've had them on Corid).
2) Chick perks up starts eating and drinking on its own but still wobbly. Then 30 minutes later it returns back under the light where it continues to sit wings droopy, eyes slightly shut.
3) chick starts having runny stools (Looks more like SPRAYING) And continues to be uneasy on the feet and lays down a lot.
4) Loud chirping and then death
This cycle has been having 1-2 chicks at a time. Because small chicks grow so quickly, I have noticed that the smaller chicks (of the same breed) have been the ones to exhibit these behaviors. One by one...from smallest to smaller to small to small-ish. This specific thing has wiped out 10 chicks now. (I've lost thirteen including ones I lost in the first couple of days / which I know is more common).
I have one chick I've been keeping an eye on who still shows that they are eating and drinking on their own..but their responsive time is very delayed and its quite small compared to the other chick of its kind in their brooder. (brahma chick).
Out of the 26 chicks I bought the first two go arounds I thought I'd lose roughly 3 chicks (a little over 10%) Out of those I've lost 10 chicks (38%). On my third go around we bought 9 more to be safe and we've lost two and are about to lose another (33%). Out of all the chicks that we have purchased we have lost/ or about to (37%) That's a 37% mortality rate... A rate I've never seen out of all the chicks that I've reared up for my mom.
So yeah, thank you for taking the time to read my "rant". I wish things were going differently. If any of the 1-4 symptoms sound familiar to you...do not hesitate to reply with an idea of what it could be. I've inspected my brooder and I do not believe that they are getting poisoned by plastic gasses, I do not believe they are too hot.
I've had a lot of success with chicks from Rural King before but maybe it's just too dang cold in Iowa for these chicks to be shipped over here (Virginia). I've never gotten chicks this time of the year. Everything I see appears more like a sickness than a sudden thing. I had 5 chicks get sick at once and then two and so on...
The brooder temps are where they should be^ The light is raised a pretty good ways off of the brooder. Which yes, is a big tote. We are in the works of constructing a big brooder made of moving boxes so that when all of our chicks are bigger, and they aren't dropping dead anymore I'm going to mix them. We are planning on making it pretty big. Will take up a at least 1/6 of our large spare bedroom.
I have come to the conclusion that the chicks aren't overheating. I truly believe that it's something else. I know that overheating is the most likely cause of this mayhem, but because of what I've documented over the past week.... in no way shape or form does it align with the ailment of these chicks.
Here is how it has gone: 11-day old chicks: (mix in the now occasional pasty butt...I finally stopped dealing with this after one yesterday yay).
1) Chick starts sticking by its lonesome away from other chicks who are climbing/ running around with food in their beaks/ chirping happily etc....wings droopy, eyes slightly shut. I give them a few drops out of a syringe with diluted sugar water/ egg yolk or Nutri drench (more severe sick chicks because I've had them on Corid).
2) Chick perks up starts eating and drinking on its own but still wobbly. Then 30 minutes later it returns back under the light where it continues to sit wings droopy, eyes slightly shut.
3) chick starts having runny stools (Looks more like SPRAYING) And continues to be uneasy on the feet and lays down a lot.
4) Loud chirping and then death
This cycle has been having 1-2 chicks at a time. Because small chicks grow so quickly, I have noticed that the smaller chicks (of the same breed) have been the ones to exhibit these behaviors. One by one...from smallest to smaller to small to small-ish. This specific thing has wiped out 10 chicks now. (I've lost thirteen including ones I lost in the first couple of days / which I know is more common).
I have one chick I've been keeping an eye on who still shows that they are eating and drinking on their own..but their responsive time is very delayed and its quite small compared to the other chick of its kind in their brooder. (brahma chick).
Out of the 26 chicks I bought the first two go arounds I thought I'd lose roughly 3 chicks (a little over 10%) Out of those I've lost 10 chicks (38%). On my third go around we bought 9 more to be safe and we've lost two and are about to lose another (33%). Out of all the chicks that we have purchased we have lost/ or about to (37%) That's a 37% mortality rate... A rate I've never seen out of all the chicks that I've reared up for my mom.
So yeah, thank you for taking the time to read my "rant". I wish things were going differently. If any of the 1-4 symptoms sound familiar to you...do not hesitate to reply with an idea of what it could be. I've inspected my brooder and I do not believe that they are getting poisoned by plastic gasses, I do not believe they are too hot.
I've had a lot of success with chicks from Rural King before but maybe it's just too dang cold in Iowa for these chicks to be shipped over here (Virginia). I've never gotten chicks this time of the year. Everything I see appears more like a sickness than a sudden thing. I had 5 chicks get sick at once and then two and so on...
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it’s been terrible . I’m so exhausted
