Baby chick down...

[ruby2zdaze]

We are so bummed that we lost our red (2nd to last) baby chick yesterday. No explanation and she was our favorite. :/ She did tend to have narcolepsy, but we thought she was just comfortable being held and fell asleep easily.
Against my better judgment, we got an identical chick that is one week behind the others. Seems to be doing well with the others, but cry's to be held a lot and again, falls asleep in my hand.
Is this normal for red chicks? Both Road Island Red's from what we were told.
Thank you in advance.

 

[Outpost JWB]

That is not normal. I would keep an eye out for coccidiosis, upper respiratory, or something else.

How does it's poop look? That can tell a lot.

What are you feeding them? They should be on chick starter at this point if the pic you posted is current.

To single out the chick and give it extra attention is easy to do, but it makes it harder as they try to establish a place in the pecking order. By singling the one out, you are placing it right back at the bottom of the pecking order.

 

[ruby2zdaze]

Thank you. Still on chick starter and I have added electrolytes to their water. All last night she kept trying to get under the other chicks. It was odd, like a baby bird wanting to nestle it's mom. This morning she seems like she is waiting for a mamma bird to come feed her. So confused. LOL
She did poop this morning and it seemed fine and I did see her drinking. She will peck at the ground like the other chicks, but it doesn't appear as though she is getting anything. Just going through the motions via observing the others.
I did take them all out for a stroll this morning in the run and she is up and about. Just the behaviors above have me concerned.
Thank you for your advice. I look forward to more.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Young chicks are often tired. They may have been shipped from a hatchery, which is very stressful for chicks. They get run-down and die from stress/exhaustion. In the future, I recommend giving them electrolytes (which you can get at the local farm store or TSC). Electrolytes give them vitamins so they gain their energy back. Sorry for your loss, but don't worry, it's not your fault. It's pretty common to lose a chick or two.

 

[3riverschick]

HI,
Go to Tractor Supply and buy the smallest bottle of Bovidr Labs Poultry Nutri-Drench. Give each chick one drop only by mouth. Repeat every 8-10 hours until perky. http://www.nutridrench.com Put in their water until the water looks like very weak tea. Do this for the next 2 weeks. This will get them off to a strong start and deal with any travel stress they have. Just the chick feed, water, Drench, and some chick grit are all they need. No need for any other supplements. I have been using the Bovidr formulas on my collies and chickens for over a decade. Great stuff. Have never had a sick or dead chick when using it. Just healthy, robust chicks.
Best, of all, it doesn't need to be digested. Mainlines directly into the bloodstream. Measurable in 15 minutes, 50% uptake in 30 minutes with 99% utilization. Check out the great ingredients at their website.
Best,
Karen Tewart
Ligonier in western PA, USA

 

[ruby2zdaze]

Thank you all kindly.
I did see her eating today. She has electrolytes. She is trying to keep up with the others.
I will try everything else.

 

[Outpost JWB]

Young chicks are often tired. They may have been shipped from a hatchery, which is very stressful for chicks. They get run-down and die from stress/exhaustion. In the future, I recommend giving them electrolytes (which you can get at the local farm store or TSC). Electrolytes give them vitamins so they gain their energy back. Sorry for your loss, but don't worry, it's not your fault. It's pretty common to lose a chick or two.

I tried to give you an ovation, but computer is not cooperating:/.

Electrolytes are one of the best things you can do for now. Hydration is imparative.

 

[3riverschick]

Ok, I am so tired of hearing it is normal to lose shipped chicks. Not directed at you BANTAMS4LIFE . Just a general rant. One does not need to lose chicks. One just needs to understand the G.I. tract of the chick. They are tiny delicate things, these chicks. In the first few days of life they undergo huge amounts of development in the G.I. tract. The same tract which is striving to accommodate a new harsh ( for them) environment plus the stress of travel and acclimation to a new home. At the center of all the chicks struggles is the ability of the G.I. tract to continue operating efficiently. Efficiently is the word. When chicks get stressed, their G.I. tracts don't work efficiently. Stop thinking of your chicks as balls of fluff. Start thinking of them as walking G.I. tracts. The G.I. tract uptakes the nutrients which form the foundation upon which the immune system will mature and function normally. Yes, the chick is born immature and finishes developing after hatching !!
We must support the G.I. tract and all other things being equal the chicks health will follow after. http://www.nutridrench.com When a chick is stressed, it's G.I. tract isn't optimal. You can keep giving it helps which need to be digested but the G.I. tract can't uptake enough of them fast enough to make a difference and soon the chick's body systems reach a tipping point between need and nutrition. Then they start to cascade in failure due to lack of proper amounts of proper nutrition and the chick dies. The owner is grief-stricken and doesn't know why the chick died when they were trying so hard to help it live!! It's because the chick needed helps which it wasn't required to digest!! It wasn't capable because of the health challenges it faced to properly uptake the helps! The owner didn't do wrong in trying, they just used the wrong help. This Bovidr Labs Poultry Nutri-Drench does not need to be digested. That's the difference. It bypasses the chick's needy G.I. tract and mainlines the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes and supplements directly into the bloodstream. with 99% utilization.
If one is going to receive shipped chicks one should give each chick one drop only by mouth upon arrival. Then put the Drench in their water so the water looks like very weak tea for the 1st 2 weeks to get them off to a strong start. No other supplement is necessary. 850K birds aren't wrong.
I've sat here at my keyboard year after year and watched shipped chicks die in spite of their owners best efforts because they didn't have the Drench to stop the travel stress. I am so tired of it. I just want to scream at the keyboard it's so not necessary!! So much needless waste of helps and life. It's not about what helps we give them, it's about what helps they can absorb!!
It doesn't have to be normal to lose shipped chicks! We just need to meet their specific needs with the proper help.
Venting,
Karen in western PA, USA.

 

[realsis]

I do agree with this statement. However i do believe some stock is stronger than other stock. My chicks were shipped from Ohio to where i live in southern California. I Thank God that all 10 of my chicks arrived alive and healthy. They were shipped with a heat pack. I feel very blessed to say all ten survived and are beginning to lay now. I think a lot depends on how they were handled, the breeding stock, and how they were shipped. Then of course home care like above statement said. I was fortunate not to get any deformity, spay legs, or cross beaks. If you dont have strong stock to start with, problems arrive much easier.