Deer_Haven_Acres
In the Brooder
- Mar 31, 2021
- 2
- 1
- 12
We were 4 days into raising baby chicks yesterday and my husband noticed that one was lethargic and had very labored breathing in the brooder. She had seemed healthy that morning - running about with the other chicks, playing, eating and drinking normally.
When he told me that she seemed to be struggling, I brought her inside and gave her some water that had been mixed with honey (1 pint water, 1 tsp honey). I dipped her little beak in it. She drank a little bit but wasn't very interested. I noticed after a couple of minutes that she seemed to be coughing up the water that she had drank. I took her and held her in my lap on a heating pad to make sure that she was warm enough. She continued to struggle breathing and after 2 1/2 hours she had what appeared to be a seizure and then died on my lap.
Some basic info:
- We use pine chip bedding, changed every other day
- Chicks are in a 2 X 2 X 4 aluminum tub that we bought at Rural King (just like the ones they have their chicks in at the store)
- Chicks have a heat lamp on them at all times, it is hung at the top of the tub
- Chicks are staying in the garage where the temperature varies but stays in the 60-70F range. The brooder is warmer with the heat lamp.
- Chicks are eating a medicated feed
- Chicks are given fresh water with electrolytes daily
- There were 14 chicks. Yesterday we lost 2 - 1 to pasty butt and the other is this one... unknown.
Any ideas what could have caused this death? How can I help save a baby in distress like this and protect my girls better in the future?
When he told me that she seemed to be struggling, I brought her inside and gave her some water that had been mixed with honey (1 pint water, 1 tsp honey). I dipped her little beak in it. She drank a little bit but wasn't very interested. I noticed after a couple of minutes that she seemed to be coughing up the water that she had drank. I took her and held her in my lap on a heating pad to make sure that she was warm enough. She continued to struggle breathing and after 2 1/2 hours she had what appeared to be a seizure and then died on my lap.
Some basic info:
- We use pine chip bedding, changed every other day
- Chicks are in a 2 X 2 X 4 aluminum tub that we bought at Rural King (just like the ones they have their chicks in at the store)
- Chicks have a heat lamp on them at all times, it is hung at the top of the tub
- Chicks are staying in the garage where the temperature varies but stays in the 60-70F range. The brooder is warmer with the heat lamp.
- Chicks are eating a medicated feed
- Chicks are given fresh water with electrolytes daily
- There were 14 chicks. Yesterday we lost 2 - 1 to pasty butt and the other is this one... unknown.
Any ideas what could have caused this death? How can I help save a baby in distress like this and protect my girls better in the future?