12 day old chick died

[Sarah47201]

Let me begin by saying I'm on the autism spectrum and I feel the need to try and understand everything.
I went to check my chicks (16 born 1/16) and one of my Rhode Island Reds was laying dead between the feeder and the electric mama hen. Everyone else is doing fine and acting normally.
I ordered 15 chicks from Meyer Hatchery in Ohio and added the Meyer Meal Maker (a free layer hen that I agree to raise and donate eggs/meat to a needy family in my community). I got my 15 vaccinated against Marek's but I don't know if my charity chick was vaccinated but I know the charity chick was a Rhode Island Red. Is it possible the 1 chick wasn't vaccinated and had Marek's? I just have a fundamental need to understand how 1 chick could die and everyone else be fine.

 

[Pork Pie]

I fear trying to understand what exactly caused the death could well be an exercise in futility, or at best speculation. i have experienced similar losses with broiler chicks, so I'd imagine it's not a rare event.

 

[Kenny_]

Meyer will vaccinate your meal maker if you paid for vaccinations on your other chicks. Don't worry about that being your possible reason. Maybe that chick had a heart condition that you didn't know about and the chick compensated for the first 12 days, and finally she died from it or either spontaneously had a heart attack. These things do happen. Just make sure the rest of your flock are perky, well hydrated, and the heat is adequate. Do you have any nutridrench? If they look a little non-perky, I just add some to their water.. makes it easier for them to drink up at least in my experience. My chicks never would just drink the straight nutridrench. Sometimes spontaneous death just happens. She might have had a malformation somewhere in her body that caused a prolonged period in which you wouldn't know it, but she was fine and then suddenly she wasn't. Nothing you could have done about that. Just rule out, rule out, rule out - that's all you can do for your chickens that you have now. Make sure that they are fine.

Best wishes.

 

[nminusyplusm]

Hi Sarah, I agree with Ken and Kenny.

Also the incubation period of Marek's is between 3 to 25 weeks so it would seem your chick was probably too young for it to be Marek's.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

Btw, I'm on the spectrum too, nice to meet you and I wish it was under better circumstances!

 

[Sarah47201]

I've got another one. She was laying lifeless under the electric mama and so I picked her up and tried to warm her up snuggled up to my chest. I gave her a few drops of water. She perked up, opened her eyes and looked at me, then died. It has to be a sickness (viral, bacterial) to take 2 chicks in less than 24 hours, right? What can I do to stop it?!?!

 

[NikAndHerChicks]

So you've lost 2 birds now & they were both by the MHP? By any chance are you using an old heating pad or is it pretty new?

 

[Sarah47201]

It's a brand new Titan Brooder Hen. My last chicks all died in a heat lamp fire so I got this because I was afraid. I have the legs set at slightly different heights on one side versus the other in case a chick needs a little more or a little less heat they can move around. No other signs of sickness yet but I'm worried.

 

[nminusyplusm]

Do the others' poops look normal? Are they moving around and exploring going between the electric mama to warm and then heading out to eat, drink and play? Does everyone else still look ok or is anybody lethargic? Do you have a thermometer you can use to measure temps?

 

[Hamiam]

Hi Sarah, so sorry for your loss. Can you post some pictures of your set up?

 

[NikAndHerChicks]

I am so sorry you are going through this. Hopefully someone else will pop in this thread with some more ideas as to what may be going on with your chicks. A few more things might help everyone out though. What are they currently eating/being fed, including all treats (if any)? Do they have food & water free choice? I agree with Hamiam, a pic of your set-up would be great, along with a pic of your remaining chicks (someone else might see something that could be helpful... plus we all love baby chick pics! )