Chick died suddenly - am I doing things right?

[LuvinMyPeeps]

Hi, I'm so sad. I just got my first chicks (4 of them) last saturday. They were all doing so well. My one chickie - Mystery, was also doing great. I had the light so they were spread out and not piled...had fresh water and feed....changed the bedding daily (there are only 4 chicks in a large, long rubbermaid container)...gave them vitamins & electrolites in their water (3 days on, 3 days off)...checked on them every hour (I work at home, thankfully)...what am I doing wrong?

She started having labored breathing. Wouldn't pick her head up, eyes closed...you could tell she was near death. We tried to give her some water in a dropper, but that didn't help. I put her away from the others in a soft towel in a smaller box within the brooder, so she wouldn't be picked, just incase. 10 mins later I checked on her and she was worse, so I stayed with her. She started convulsing, then flapping her wings, then died.

I checked the chicken health book and it said convulsions is usually sudden death syndrome - not contagious. Do you know of anything else that would cause convulsions?

Is there something I'm doing wrong? Please tell me so it doesn't happen with the other three...

Thank you...

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I'm so sorry - it sounds like you are doing everything right. They just might have sent you a sickly chick. If the others are ok, don't worry.

 

[BantamMom13720]

Dear Luvin,
Greetings from Spotsy county! We're neighbors..lol!

You're doing just fine. I've been hatching and raising chicks now for three years. I had five (in with their mama) in an incubator box . This morning all five were fine, tonight two of the little guys were dead, for no apparent reason. And the other three are still fine. It happens, and it's sad when it does, but certainly it sounds like your chickies are getting everything possible! Don't beat yourself up .

If you're ever up this way, and I have lots of baby chicks that I sell; silkies, polish , some hybrids, barred rocks and japanese bantams. Stop and see me!

Take care and good luck with the babies!
Robin

 

[LuvinMyPeeps]

Oh thank you BantamMom,

I will definitely look you up if I'm going your way!

I bought these little guys (or girls?) from a wonderful lady who sells really nice birds, so I know I didn't get 'bad chicks'. I know they came from a top notch gal.

That's the reason I wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything wrong. It's my first death (of a chick) and I really didn't think I would feel this bad - my stomach is upset!

I know I have the obsession with chickens because I'm thinking about getting more - but I realized last night that they are not 'things', they are animals and I should make sure I'm taking care of the ones I have before I get more. Then I go out to the coop and visit my other flock of babies (22-24 weeks old...still waiting for my first egg

)

 

[LuvinMyPeeps]

Oh yeah - one more thing...

how do chicks sleep? They seem to be putting their beak down and closing their eyes...is this normal, or do I have a problem? They seem responsive otherwise when I tap or talk to them, they get up and move around, then lay back down. Are they just tired or should I worry?

 

[bubbazmommy]

Sleeping chicks look dead IMO. They just sleep however they want.

 

[meriruka]

Sounds like you're doing everything you can. It was probably just a weak chick. (That doesn't make it any less sad, I know)
What are you usung for bedding?

 

[lovemychix]

sorry

 

[MissPrissy]

This is the hard part of raising chicks. They do often die from no apparent causes and leave us wondering what we did wrong. Often we did nothing wrong and the chicks were just not strong enough to survive.

 

[LuvinMyPeeps]

Quote:
I'm using pine shavings for bedding, about 2-3" deep. The biggest chick likes to snuggle in it - she's already taking dust baths and she's not even fully feathered out yet. It's so cute. The others still look happy and healthy.

I'm so glad they sleep funny - I was getting scared! They are sleeping kind of in the middle of the brooder, a bit spread out from each other, sometimes with their wings slightly away from their bodies. When I move or talk, they stand right up, so they look like they're okay. Hopefully it was just that one.

Thanks for calming my nerves!