Baby chick dead, others were sitting on her.

[kirras]

Last night I noticed one of my chicks was acting extra lethargic. I had just got her 2 days before. My husband thought it was just exhausted so we let her sleep. This morning I went in to check on them (7 chicks altogether) and she was dead with the others on her. I thought maybe they saw she wasn't doing well and were trying to keep her warm. My husband thinks maybe they suffocated her because she was dying. Any thoughts to why they would sit on her? Should I worry that they may end up like her?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I usually lose a few chicks when I buy an order of 25 at a time. I think it is the stress of shipping.

The big thing to watch out for is coccidiosis.

Signs:
lethargy
may or may not have been exposed to soil (can be transferred into brooder by humans' contact with soil and then contact with brooder)
sits in corner by himself
won't eat or drink
may or may not have bloody poo
may have just plain diarrhea
feathers fluffed up as if cold
usually 8 weeks of age or under but older chickens can be overwhelmed by cocci when immunocompromised or exposed to different soil
death may occur within 24 hours and is an emercency
treated with corid or sulmet (corid is better as it treats more strains of it)

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Another thing is if they were cold and got into a pile that can cause suffocation.

 

[ChiChiLady]

chicks huddle up together when they are too cold. what is the temp. in your brooder? I have found that if one seems espcially slow after it comes in the mail it often won't make it.

 

[kirras]

I bought them at my local Wilco farm store. The temp is fine. They are starting to sleep further away from direct heat (there is plenty of space if they want to get away from it.) and they don't usually huddle. Sometimes one will lean on another when he is passing out though. I hope it wasn't coccidiosis. I have been building the coop, and will check on them from time to time during. I may have got some soil in there. The others seem happy running around the brooder lightly chirping and scratching around. If a chick dies, do the others usually peck at it?