2 Day Old Chick Drowned

[peepinglaura]

Yesterday morning our broody had 3 new chicks. By tonight she had 2. She managed to get them out of the coop. None of our others left the coop so early. I accidentally left a bowl out yesterday. It rained last night. Somehow the little guy got on top of the bowl, fell in, and drowned. I can't believe I killed this poor chick. I assume the mom was probably beside herself. Does anyone know how long it takes a new chick to drown- how long it wold have suffered? My kids are devastated, and I can't tell you what an awful discovery that was, especially knowing my carelesness was to blame.

Thanks,

Laura

 

[MysticScorpio82]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Accidents happen, so don't beat yourself up!

 

[sfw2]

Laura, please don't beat yourself up over this! You didn't know the chicks would be out and about so soon!

Sometimes, we make mistakes. I recently lost one of my birds when my husky mix snuck up behind me and grabbed her. I knew the dog would go after the chickens, given the chance. I should have put her up before I opened the coop. I was upset with the dog, but more upset with myself. My only consolation is that I know it was over fast. I'm sure the same is true of your chick.
Your momma hen must raise strong babies for them to be out of the coop so fast! Good luck with the other chicks.

 

[karen71]

i'm sorry its hard when the babies die
I had a broody with 5 DBH's that I bought the eggs for and after they hatched she did not want to stay locked in the coop so I let her and the babies out and I lost 3 of them unknown to what - only have 2 left

I have a tip I learned from BEC for the water put some of the flat marbles in the container and they can drink but can;t get in a water deep enough to drown .

Don't beat yourself up - things happen

 

[peepinglaura]

Thanks. I do feel guilty, so guilty, but I'll get a grip eventually

I will never make that particular mistake again. Others, yes, but not that one!

Laura

 

[Smmcdn]

Things like that happen. I put my 10 chicks in the new coop before I could completely dog proof it. I have hunting dogs and the thing with them is to kill anything that comes in the yard. My wife starting bringing them out the afternoon that I finished it and I wanted to wait till the next day so I could stay outside that day so I could let the dogs know its ok. That night they managed to dig a hole under the side and 3 of my chicks came out. Now I only have 7 but now the dogs wont touch the coop they just sit and watch. I showed them what an electric wire fills like and they don't like it.

We all make mistakes . --it happens

 

[JewellFarm]

I'm so sorry, don't be so hard on yourself. You couldn't have known it would rain and fill the bowl.

 

[sahminaz]

I'm so sorry.

 

[spook]

In all honesty, many of us have had the same horrible things happen. It seems like you have 1 die from drowning, 1 from jumping into the heat lamp and 1 gets loose and the dog/cat finds it first!
Ah well, who knows, but its a tragic thing. Now I keep a jar filled with shinny colored marbles. When I have chicks, for the first week or two if they are bantams, place them in the waterer and as they "out grow" the dangerous period, then I remove a few at a time. A older gentleman said that he starts all his Turkey Poults with marbles in the water and feed, that way they will pick at the marble and realize that it is water or food. It also helps chicks the same way.
Keep your chin up and learning is growth and we all need to grow.

 

[walkswithdog]

A hen that brings them out too early is going to lose some. Rain is going to cause loss now and then. Drowning like that is part hypothermia- part drowning - takes no time at all, they cool and drown roughly the same time very quickly. I've seen them fall and die in heavy rain before I can cross the yard.

Loss is part of it, whether it's incubation or hens or humans rearing chicks. We make mistakes, kids, dogs, predators, other chickens kill some. Don't feel bad. When there are babies out there now I'm careful about what containers are out there, whether rain can get in them.

But it's like holes and gaps in fencing, it's just NOT NORMAL that a chick or chicken could have gotten through that gap... Spit happens.

I had an otherwise normal Roo kill a chick a hen had, dunno why, just didn't like the lil sucker I guess. Hasn't ever harmed another.

I'm sorry you lost the baby, but you didn't kill it. Nature took it back.