Baby chick suddenly crashing (need help)

[AngBantamLuv]

Ok, since i can't resist and not that you asked... but i think chick #1 & #2 are females.. see how their wing feathers go allllll the way back. Also, they have prominent little tail feathers coming in. Little chick looks like it might be a male, and males are slower to grow than females, so the weight isn't concerning to me. They are all so cute!

 

[clickchicks]

Ok, since i can't resist and not that you asked... but i think chick #1 & #2 are females.. see how their wing feathers go allllll the way back. Also, they have prominent little tail feathers coming in. Little chick looks like it might be a male, and males are slower to grow than females, so the weight isn't concerning to me. They are all so cute!

Oh, that's interesting to know! I hope that's right and little chick isn't just stunted from all the stress/sickness.

I made peace with the idea that I might end up with a rooster when I decided to get baby chicks. If it is indeed a rooster and does pull through, then he has a home here

That said I am strongly considering cancelling my chick order from Mcmurray that's due in May. This whole thing has been so stressful, I don't know if I really want to go through it all again.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Omg i totally understand!!! We started off with 5 chicks and omg the emotional stress was so much tougher than i thought it would be! Its amazing how attached you get immediately! And thennn i had to rehome some (i can only have a few, they live INSIDE my house) and I cried for days on end after letting the extras go! I think you have a perfect little bunch

 

[gtaus]

That said I am strongly considering cancelling my chick order from Mcmurray that's due in May. This whole thing has been so stressful, I don't know if I really want to go through it all again.

You obviously have a big heart, and that is wonderful. But please don't let your concern for the chicks and the stress you currently feel hold you back from this endeavor.

Raising chicks can be much more rewarding than stressful. Of course, everyone is different, and I don't want to tell you how you should raise your chicks. But let me offer my approach to raising chicks and take what you want, or nothing at all. This is just what works for me to make my life with chickens less stressful.

First of all, when I order chicks, I will assume a 10%-20% loss. For example, if I order 10 chicks, I will automatically assume a loss of 1 or 2 chicks. That prepares me for losses that may happen as I have already planned for that event. If I do lose a chick or two, I just focus my attention on the other 8 chicks that are thriving. Nobody likes to lose any chicks, but planning for loss makes it easier for me to accept this potential outcome and prepares me both mentally and emotionally. And yes, I had to prepare myself to be able to cull a sick or injured chick for the good of both me and the rest of the flock.

Over the years, I have discovered that the less I have to do to care for my chicks, the more I can enjoy them for myself. This was very important to me. I don't need extra stress in my life, either. So now I raise my chicks on wood chips bedding and don't clean out the brooder until the chicks are transferred to the coop. Much less effort for me, and it seems to be just fine for the chicks.

When the chicks go out to the coop, I have a feeder and waterer that I only have to fill once every 10 days. Of course, I check the levels of food and water everyday to make sure everything is fine, but I don't actually refill feed or water until about every 10 days. That makes my life easier, less stressful, and I therefore enjoy my chickens more.

I use a dry deep litter bedding of wood chips in my coop. I only clean out the coop once in the spring, after the snow melts, and once again in the fall before the snow comes. I could probably get by cleaning out the wood chips even longer, like maybe once a year, but I use the wood chips in my compost. So I prefer to rotate it twice a year.

Years ago, when I first started raising chickens, I was constantly cleaning everything. That was a lot of work. Changing over to deep bedding using free wood chips has really worked out well for me. I also personally feel my chickens are doing better on deep litter than when I was constantly cleaning the coop and spending lots of money on pine shavings or straw. Those days, for me, are gone and now I work less hard and enjoy my chickens much more.

I don't let my chickens free range. I would like to let them free range, but I live on a lake and we have too many bald eagles and hawks that would love a chicken dinner. So I keep my chickens in a chicken run with bird netting on top to protect them. Again, this is less stressful for me because I don't worry nearly as much about daytime predators from above. We call the people around here that free range their chickens as former chicken owners. They are almost guaranteed to lose their flock over the summer and before the fall when they would have started laying eggs. I don't need that stress in my life. My chickens do just fine in their chicken run with bird netting above to protect them.

Sorry for the long response, but I truly believe that if you find ways to reduce your "self-imposed" stress in raising chicks, you will be much better off in both the short term, but also in the long term as you will be able to raise and enjoy a backyard flock for many years. I do hope you continue to enjoy your chicks and find a place that is less stressful for you.

Still wishing the best outcome for your little chick.

 

[gtaus]

Russian Orloff, seems totally healthy, 68g/2.4oz.....

Thanks for the pics. FWIW, I recently had a white egg from my Californian chicken that weighed in at 89g! Looked like a goose egg it was so big. Too big to close the cover on the egg carton.

 

[clickchicks]

@gtaus

Thank you for the words of encouragement, I appreciate them.

This is my first time with baby chicks. I have some year old hens, but I got them at around 8 weeks old.

I was sad but not shocked when the first one of this batch died. It was fast and I could move past it, but this one just keeps teetering. Every morning I wake up with this pit in my stomach thinking "will it still be there?". Ans if it does pass, then I'm left with only two. Which means no more bad luck else I could be left with a singleton and the stress just piles on. This was probably a rookie mistake, to have only gotten 4.

I love having chickens. I don't want to give up on that, but I do admit seeing them not be well is taking its toll. It's hard watching a little baby struggle like this.

 

[gtaus]

I love having chickens. I don't want to give up on that, but I do admit seeing them not be well is taking its toll. It's hard watching a little baby struggle like this.

Yes, I understand. I have a hard time watching a baby chick struggle to survive. I do what I can for the chick, but I know that a lot is just out of my hands. If you raise small animals, you have to find a way to deal with the loss that comes with them. Like I said, my approach is to order more than I need, and accept the loss of a chick or two if it happens.

If it helps, last year I was in our local Fleet store looking at the chicks. A farmer came in who was buying chickens by lots of 50. He looked down into the brooder pen at the store, saw a chick that was not "normal", picked it up and smashed its head again the tank wall killing the chick. For him, he was doing a favor for the suffering chick and for anyone who might accidently buy the chick not knowing better. It might seem cold hearted, but I think I know what he was doing and wont judge him for culling that chick.

I guess if you buy chicks by the hundreds, you probably have a different approach to raising them then someone who only buys 4 at a time. With only 4 chicks, each loss is precious. Anyway, I hope you can get more chicks and find a way to reduce your stress level. At least with more chicks in the brooder, a single loss is less devastating at some level.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I love my few, with all my heart. By having only a few, they really are my feather babies, and they know it! I love the individual attention i can give each of them. They get cradled daily and fall asleep in my arms.

 

[clickchicks]

@AngBantamLuv Your chickens are so pretty! I'm sure they are living the high life

@gtaus I totally respect making hard calls and I do feel like humanly euthanizing is better than letting them suffer. Its why I've struggled so much with this. Its hard to really tell if this chick is "suffering" at this point, but one of my older hens passed away last year and she was certainly suffering. I refused to make the hard call because I was so sure I could help, but in the end that wasn't the case. So I try to be more pragmatic now.

I think I have good news for today. Little chick is still here, and I'm very cautiously going to say I think I see improvement. Its still weak, but multiple times I've caught it doing the thing where it stands up tall and flap its wings. I also noticed it was quick to come out from under the brooder plate this morning, where as in days past I've had to lift up the plate to encourage it out first thing in the morning.

 

[gtaus]

I think I have good news for today. Little chick is still here, and I'm very cautiously going to say I think I see improvement.