I need help & advice. I hatched 4 Penedesenca eggs on Feb27 - March 1st. The last one had gotten shrink wrapped & needed help. She came out with some pretty severe leg problems & eventually died. The other 3 ( 2 pullets/1 cockerel) were doing great. I hatched out 21 more eggs in the Easter HAL. 1 had not absorbed all of its yolk & died at 2 days old. A few days ago I put all the chicks together in the brooder & watched to make sure everything was ok. I have 3 feeders & 2 waters in the brooder as well as a heatlamp. I've taken the older chicks outside for some supervised time in the grass & sun (on the warm days). I think they have been outside a total of 3 times in the past 2 weeks. I take water out with them. They only stayed outside for an hour or 2. Last night I went to check the feeders & waters in the brooder because they tend to kick a lot of shavings around, so I clean it out about 3 times a day. Everybody looked great & was up walking, eating & drinking. I went back in about an hour or 2 later to check on them before I went to bed and 1 of the older Penedesenca pullets was laying on the brooder floor very much dead. I have been feeding them chick starter & occasionally some meal worms. She did not seem to have much in her crop.
I was very puzzled as to what had happened.
Today was much like yesterday, I checked often to make sure the food dishes weren't covered by pine shavings & were full of food. Also, made sure the waters were clean & full. Took the 2 older chicks & 11 of the younger chicks out for a short time in the grass (about an hour). When I went to bring them back inside, the older pullet chick was laying on its side, 1 leg trembling a bit & the other chicks were walking on top of her. Earlier, she had been great. I separated her & put vitamins in her water & made sure she took a drink. She was able to stand on her feet after that.
My DH thought maybe she needed grit (which I have never provided, I believe they get grit when they are outside because our yard is full of rocks of all sizes. Any chicken I have ever butchered has had plenty of grit in the gizzard.) Anyway, I went out to the gravel driveway & brought in a container of very small grit. I put some in with her & some in with the other chicks. I also sprinkled chick starter on top of the paper towels I put her on. I checked on her a little while ago & she doesn't look like she is going to make it.
I also keep a small space heater in the room to help keep the temps up in that room. I pay attention to where the chicks hang out in the brooder to see if they seem too hot or too cold & they usually have been spread out in the brooder equally, some by the light & some in the middle & some at the other end. I haven't seem any pecking or fighting.
Any ideas? I don't want to lose any more, especially if it is because I am doing something wrong!
I was very puzzled as to what had happened.
Today was much like yesterday, I checked often to make sure the food dishes weren't covered by pine shavings & were full of food. Also, made sure the waters were clean & full. Took the 2 older chicks & 11 of the younger chicks out for a short time in the grass (about an hour). When I went to bring them back inside, the older pullet chick was laying on its side, 1 leg trembling a bit & the other chicks were walking on top of her. Earlier, she had been great. I separated her & put vitamins in her water & made sure she took a drink. She was able to stand on her feet after that.
My DH thought maybe she needed grit (which I have never provided, I believe they get grit when they are outside because our yard is full of rocks of all sizes. Any chicken I have ever butchered has had plenty of grit in the gizzard.) Anyway, I went out to the gravel driveway & brought in a container of very small grit. I put some in with her & some in with the other chicks. I also sprinkled chick starter on top of the paper towels I put her on. I checked on her a little while ago & she doesn't look like she is going to make it.
I also keep a small space heater in the room to help keep the temps up in that room. I pay attention to where the chicks hang out in the brooder to see if they seem too hot or too cold & they usually have been spread out in the brooder equally, some by the light & some in the middle & some at the other end. I haven't seem any pecking or fighting.
Any ideas? I don't want to lose any more, especially if it is because I am doing something wrong!
