baby chicks dying

[lflood]

hello, im lisa in wyoming.
i am a first-time chicken mom.
im stressed about our death rate.
we received 27 chickens on monday morning
and now it is thursday and we have lost 4 and doesnt
look good for 3 more. . .
they are in a shed, in a bin with clean shavings, water, and food.
the heat lamp is over them and the shed is hot.
the temp reads between 80 and 90 and healthy chicks seem happy.

the ill ones get wobby and one had very goopy eyes, then they just flatten
and then die.

help.

 

[AHappychick]

it may just be stress from the shipping if the chicks are moving around, eating and drinking and not huddled in the corners or right under the lamp then all sounds fine with your set up.

what kind of shavings are you using? only pine with no cedar.

 

[fastpat]

Quote:
The temp needs to be warmer, about 95ºF, for the first week, lowered by about 5ºF per week. Your brooder must also be completely draft free. As the writer in the previous post said, you're dependent on the handling by the shipping company, in many cases that's the US Postal Service. Since you're in Wyoming, it's possible that they were chilled in shipment, and the ones on the outside of the bunch were the coldest.

 

[ParsonsClanND]

Hello Lisa,

I am a First time chicken mom also. We got 25 on Saturday and have lost 2 so far. I have been on the internet searching for answers as well. I called a local farmer(we live in North Dakota) He explained to me that out of 25 Chicks it would be normal to have 20 survive.
That there was no need to worry or no wrong doing if Heat, clean water, food and regularly cleaned pen was all in play. It is hard because I know my 4 yr old daughter carried around an dying chick yesterday for 8 hours in her Zhu Zhu pet bed trying to nurse it back to health. Both chicks we have lost acted so strange...the would get really weak, we would isolate them so the others would not peck them, and they would perk up for a while and then go back to worse. Hang in there!

 

[lflood]

oh thank you.
i have an 8 and a 6 year old.
one chick died in my 8 year old hands.
wow the tears!!
i must say i am having trouble with my own with 3 down
and it looks like 3 more to go. . .

 

[AHappychick]

can you take a pic of the brooder set up? are they all active and running around? you mentioned goopy eyes do the ones that look like they wont make it have goopey eyes too? where did they come from?

 

[NatraLee]

I'm learning too, but I would do my best to hydrate them and keep them warm (between 90 and 95 degrees) and comfy as possible. You might also try an antibiotic and an anti-parasite med. I took my sick chick to the vet and they prescribed the antibiotic/anti-inflammatory (Flagyl) (1 drop 2x a day) and an anti-parasite (1 drop per day) - they also prescribed IV fluids but I didn't do that. Anyway, do your best to hydrate and consider the meds if the chicks don't improve - and keep them comfortable as you can. Make sure you clean the water 2x a day as well.

 

[PriceFamilyFarms]

add sugar to their water to help counter the effects of rough shippings. If your using quart size waters add 6 teaspoons now, then tomorrow cut it back to 4 and then 2 the next day. The extra carbs will help the ones struggling and give the others a nice energy boost.

 

[sparkles2307]

Hi Lisa, welcome! I used to live in WY

The general rule of thumb when ordering from hatcheries is to expect a loss of 10%. Just how life goes. If you keep losing more, just keep going over everything with a fine toothed comb. Drafts? Temp? Water? Try sneaking up on them so they dont scatter and see if they are huddling up really tighly together. They could be trying to stay warm, and the ones in the middle and bottom will get smooshed flat in the huddle. Good luck!

 

[wvcruffler]

Lisa,
I received 26 last week from Ideal. Lost 1 the first day after unpacking and none since. My setup mirrors yours, except mine are on last years second cut hay. they are also Malay for the most part and have gotten HUGE in 1 week. I used their blue gel the first week and I give them room-temperature water. I use automatic feeders and waterers so they have a harder time pooping in their food and water. Keep us up to date on the progress. Could have have been sent a sick batch? Mine have the advantage of an overly protective BCM pullet who has been hopping in there and sitting on them at night. Otherwise our setups are similar, except mine have been kept colder than yours in all likelihood.
Phil