Bantam chicks dying

[H Family]

Purchased several chicks from Rural King & the bantams are dying. Initially, had a mix of regular size chicks & bantams mixed together, lost a handful of bantams in that batch. I hatched a few bantams before getting the first batch from Rural King & put them together with that first batch & they are all fine. After losing the initial handful of bantams, went back to the store & purchased a few more & they keep dying. One of them I didn’t think was doing too well in the store, but took it home anyway to try to give it a chance. It was dead within a couple of hours. Another one died a couple hours after that, another one dead by morning. I have never had this issue with chicks dying. I did set up a separate brooder for the new batch since they were all about the same age & to give them the best shot at survival. They are on pine shavings, plenty of food & water, and have a heating plate. They don’t seem to be cold, but they mainly stay under the warmer. They come out to eat & drink, maybe walk around & peck around a bit & then go back under the warmer. They seem fine & then I’ll notice one that is not wanting to walk around much, lethargic, not interested in eating or drinking. A bit later, it looks like it’s sleeping, may open it’s eyes, can see it breathing, but it will close its eyes & lay there & occasionally flail about for a second, lay on its side or back & die over a few minutes to hours. They don’t seem to be gasping for air or anything like that. I would like to know what could be going on with them. All of them, with the exception of the ones I hatched, have come from the same brooder in the store. It’s been about a 50/50 chance of survival & very heartbreaking.

 

[nuthatched]

Babies usually need a heat lamp, heat plates work with contact and they may be too small to make it.

 

[H Family]

Thank you, I will try that. The store had them under a red light and one of them was not acting quite right in the store which ended up being the first one to die. They don’t appear to be cold, they’re not huddling together or anything, but I’ll try anything at this point. Thanks for your advice!

 

[BDutch]

They are on pine shavings,

Maybe the pine shaving are not good?
Use other bedding, old towels or paper towels.

Some other ideas:
Give water with electrolytes. Put a drop on your finger and keep it against the chicks beak.
There are recipes to make water with electrolytes (cup of boiled water, tsp honey or sugar/ pinch of salt/ tsp apple cider vinegar) .

Maybe the chicks were already sick when you bought them? Or they were too cold for too long? Did you use a heat pack?

 

[dekel18042]

Purchased several chicks from Rural King & the bantams are dying. Initially, had a mix of regular size chicks & bantams mixed together, lost a handful of bantams in that batch. I hatched a few bantams before getting the first batch from Rural King & put them together with that first batch & they are all fine. After losing the initial handful of bantams, went back to the store & purchased a few more & they keep dying. One of them I didn’t think was doing too well in the store, but took it home anyway to try to give it a chance. It was dead within a couple of hours. Another one died a couple hours after that, another one dead by morning. I have never had this issue with chicks dying. I did set up a separate brooder for the new batch since they were all about the same age & to give them the best shot at survival. They are on pine shavings, plenty of food & water, and have a heating plate. They don’t seem to be cold, but they mainly stay under the warmer. They come out to eat & drink, maybe walk around & peck around a bit & then go back under the warmer. They seem fine & then I’ll notice one that is not wanting to walk around much, lethargic, not interested in eating or drinking. A bit later, it looks like it’s sleeping, may open it’s eyes, can see it breathing, but it will close its eyes & lay there & occasionally flail about for a second, lay on its side or back & die over a few minutes to hours. They don’t seem to be gasping for air or anything like that. I would like to know what could be going on with them. All of them, with the exception of the ones I hatched, have come from the same brooder in the store. It’s been about a 50/50 chance of survival & very heartbreaking.

Bantams are smaller than LF chicks. If you are using a heat plate put it as low as possible as it can be too cool otherwise.
Since they are so small, you may want to throw their food (chick starter) into your blender or food processer to make it finer the first week . Sometimes it seems regular chick food is too large for them and it is easier for them to eat the finer food.
Make sure they are eating and drinking. Give them room temperature water with either electrolytes or probiotics. (Not cold water)
Initially for the first day or so use paper towels in the brooder and sprinkle some food on it. This encourages them to peck and eat.
Once they are eating and drinking you can add the pine shavings.
Check them for pasty butt and if they have it, treat.
Bantams can be a bit fragile, but once they are growing they usually do fine. I have Old English Game Bantams, mille fleur D'uccles and cochin bantams and as adults they live with my LF so once they start growing they usually do well.

 

[H Family]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply.

 

[H Family]

Maybe the pine shaving are not good?
Use other bedding, old towels or paper towels.

Some other ideas:
Give water with electrolytes. Put a drop on your finger and keep it against the chicks beak.
There are recipes to make water with electrolytes (cup of boiled water, tsp honey or sugar/ pinch of salt/ tsp apple cider vinegar) .

Maybe the chicks were already sick when you bought them? Or they were too cold for too long? Did you use a heat pack?

I’m thinking they were sick or really stressed from shipping. I got a handful more & used a red light this time & still lost 2 the first night, but the rest are doing well.

 

[H Family]

Thanks for your advice. What kind of heat pack do you use?

 

[BastyPutt]

Maybe the pine shaving are not good?
Use other bedding, old towels or paper towels.

Some other ideas:
Give water with electrolytes. Put a drop on your finger and keep it against the chicks beak.
There are recipes to make water with electrolytes (cup of boiled water, tsp honey or sugar/ pinch of salt/ tsp apple cider vinegar) .

Maybe the chicks were already sick when you bought them? Or they were too cold for too long? Did you use a heat pack?

I started using dog training pads last year and will never use anything else again.

 

[FrostRanger]

If you use shavings you must provide grit in case they eat a bit of it. As long as you have a bit of grit for them, pine shavings are perfectly safe. I use shavings myself without issue